a/n: The formal disclaimer: the Harry Potter characters and universe are the intellectual property rights of JK Rowling and Warner Brothers. No copyright infringement is intended. T rating to be safe, mostly for language.
This is a companion piece to my Tonks/Lupin saga, Breaking the Ties That Bind. However, you don't need to read it to understand or appreciate this story. My focus for this is piece was to explore the dynamic between Andromeda and her family, as well as bringing to life the story of how she would fall in love with a Muggle-born. It's important to remember that Andromeda's father, Cygnus Black, was the youngest brother to Walburga Black (Sirius and Regulus' mother) so no doubt Andromeda and her sisters grew up in the same insane and rigid pureblood mania Sirius did. I am thinking of expanding it, depending on reader response, so if you like what you've read, let me know by clicking on the review button below!
As always, I base my stories on conjecture from canon, however just a few points that deviate: I've made Ted's Christian name Edward, Andromeda is in her second year of Healer training, Ted is a brilliant Quidditch player, looking to join the Appleby Arrows but is currently working for his father in their Muggle business (basically, I just think its cute that Ted would go from a Quidditch god to the portly fair haired man we see in DH).

As always, I hope you enjoy!

Part One

July, 1972

Andromeda Black was shaking.

The knife in her hand was not cooperating the way she wanted making the beetles she was suppose to be dicing impossible to accomplish.

"Ms. Black? Something the matter?" Healer Goodwin was peering down at her, a look of small concern on his face for one of his favorite students who had been out of sorts all week.

"No sir, I was, distracted is all," Andromeda said, giving the Healer a hesitant smile. Looking around the room, she realized she was one of the last people in the class, everyone else had left for the day.

"Make sure you complete your assignment before time runs out. Otherwise you'll be given an incomplete for the day."

"I know sir, I'll finish this right away," Andromeda said, steadying her hand to finish the blood replenishing potion she was suppose to be brewing. Focus Drom, you can do this. But her efforts at concentration were giving way to other thoughts, thoughts that had been plaguing her all week, thoughts that were the source of her trembling. What would their reaction be like? What would his? How was she to tell them that she had secretly gotten married without their permission and was now carrying his child? How was she to tell them she was no longer a Black, but a Tonks?

Andromeda had always prided herself on her ability to complete her assignments for Healer training with speed and efficiency, as well as receive top marks. She was a bit of a teacher's pet, always had been. In Hogwarts she was teased for it in Slytherin, saying she was better off in Ravenclaw, but she never took it to heart. It was how she was brought up; to accomplish great things and to make others jealous. For a time, making her mother and father proud was one of her top priorities as they were so terribly hard to please.

But now her utmost priority had become him. He was godlike, with his golden hair and incredible physique, such strong features Andromeda couldn't help but fall for him the first time she saw him. Sirius thought she was insane, to be so in love with the boy she'd been secretly dating since Hogwarts, her only serious relationship, but she didn't listen. What did he know? He was only thirteen. Andromeda turned her thoughts back to the task at hand, and completed her assignment quickly, but not quite with the diligence and precision she usually managed. She knew the quality of the day's work would only result bottom marks, but right now, she didn't care.

She gathered up her books and tote bag and left for the day, handing in the potion and saying a quick goodbye to the Healer, leaving the abandoned redbrick building of St. Mungo's behind her. It wasn't a very long walk between hospital and home, but she wasn't going back to her parents' house. She hadn't been back there in weeks, not since Cissy "accidentally" let slip she was seeing at been seeing a boy of unpure breeding.

"No daughter of mine is going to be prancing around London like some common tart with a boy of questionable background!" her father roared at her.

"Andromeda Black," her mother scolded, dramatically dabbing tears from her eyes, "what would the neighbors think? Use your brain for once, girl!"

"You can come home when you've sorted out where your loyalties lie. Until then, I want you out of my sight." her father said sternly, shooing her away with one of his hands, turning his back on her. Rage as she had never known made her storm away from the house, cursing the day she was ever born into such a family.

Instead of returning to her family's row house in London, she went back to his parents' house, to their little flat above the Tonks' garage. Looking around to see if the Muggles were watching, Andromeda Disapparated in the empty London street. Landing in the yard to the old Georgian colonial, Andromeda starting to feel some relief from her overwhelming anxiety. This house had become a source of great comfort to Andromeda of late. But there was no relief from her morning sickness, which was a misnomer to be sure, and she vomited spectacularly as soon as her feet hit the ground. At the sounds of her daughter-in-law retching, Maisy Tonks came running out the front door eagerly hoping to help her.

Maisy and Michael Tonks had been a godsend when word of Andromeda's relationship with Ted had gotten out, and the tension brewing between daughter and family was at a fever pitch. The Blacks had only reluctantly agreed to meet the boy after her flood of owls, begging them to reconsider, to try to understand, to see that he was a good man of excellent background and wealth. But Andromeda knew better; knew the only reason they had agreed to the dinner this evening was thanks to persuasion from Narcissa who had their father wrapped around her little finger. Andromeda suspected Narcissa's involvement in intervening on her behalf was due to some remorse on her sister's part for ratting her out. She didn't know what was going to happen tonight, but she did know that she had to tell her family; the guilt of such a secret was eating away at her. Her family had been everything to her, but since they dismissed their daughter when hearing about her romance, all familial ties were wavering, on the brink of being severed forever. The only one who still seemed to care for her was Cissy, but even she was finding it hard that her older sister was dating someone they had been taught since infancy was unnatural and unclean, inferior in every way. Bellatrix merely sneered, as she always had.

"Dear, how are you feeling? I've told that son of mine, told him a hundred times, he should pick you up in the car after your shifts at hospital are over. But does he ever listen to his mother? Never..." Mrs. Tonks said, patting Andromeda on the back, handing her a cool glass of water, tutting over Ted's behavior.

"No really, Mrs. Tonks, I'm alright," Andromeda said gratefully taking the water.

"How many times must I ask you to call me Maisy, dear," she said, still rubbing Andromeda's back.

"Once more, Mrs. Tonks," Andromeda said giving her a weak smile. As much as Andromeda was quickly beginning to see Maisy Tonks as a mother figure, her years of polite manners dictated that she should address her elder in such a manner. "Anyway, Ted's busy enough as it is with his job and with training for his try-out in a few weeks. He doesn't need to worry about me," Andromeda said, dismissing all her kind attention. When someone fell ill at home, it was look upon as a sign of weakness, and so the Black children quickly learned to disregard any failings in their health, even if they were legitimate concerns. Finding herself running to the loo to vomit at least three times a day was driving Andromeda insane. She knew from her Healer training that this was natural, that it came with pregnancy, but she still wished she could just get the whole thing over and done with. She hated feeling like an invalid, like she was weak.

"But still dear, all this nonsense of popping back and forth just doesn't seem right, especially for the baby."

"Really, Mrs. Tonks, Apparation is fine during pregnancy, I asked my resident Healer about it, and he said it was totally safe."

"I just don't think I'll ever get use to it, I suppose," she said, still looking wary. "I don't think I really have accepted any of this magic business in all this time. I'm still so startled every time Ted pulls out that blasted stick thing and waves it about."

"His wand?" Andromeda said helpfully.

"Whatever it is, it's a bloody nusiance. Let's get you inside dear, have a bit of cake, I just put the kettle on."

That was always Maisy Tonks' answer to any of life's problems: tea and a bit of cake. Walking through the door to the house, Andromeda was instantaneously feeling calmer. The Tonks' home was always warm and genuine, a feeling of love and tranquility always encompassed the space. However, it had taken some adjusting for Andromeda to become accustom to so many Muggle appliances in Ted's house, so many things that were worlds away from the manner in which she grew up. At first it was all rather fascinating, particularly the television box, with the black and white moving pictures that told stories with sound. But now it was all a bit annoying, how slow things were to make or do. Even suppers, when she would help his mother with the cooking, had become laborious without the help of house elves or magic. But she quickly forgot her agitation when she felt the warmth and kindness from his mother, or the acceptance and humor from his father, or simply falling into his arms.

Maisy Tonks, with her bottle blonde hair and large pale grey eyes, was the complete opposite from her own mother, whose small harsh eyes always seemed to judge and peer right through a person. Where her mother Druella was cold and distant, Maisy was warm, compassionate and loving. Always with a smile or a quick quip, usually about her son or husband, Andromeda knew she would have been lost this past month without her. And as much as Andromeda prided herself on being an independent person, more than capable of taking care of herself, and hated having to rely on people, she knew with the looming possibility of never seeing her family again, she would have collapsed utterly under the weight of sorrow.

"So, what did you get up to today?" Maisy asked, pouring the steaming hot kettle into a teapot to let the loose tea leaves steep. It was always so odd to Andromeda how much Mrs. Tonks really took a genuine interest in her day.

"Not much, we went around with the Healer-in-Charge of Spell Damage today, I was able to help a man reverse a very powerful Jelly-brain jinx, but he's still not completely right in the head, then we had a lab to practice our first-aid potion making, you know, just the usual."

"So are you nervous for tonight?" Maisy asked, bustling around the kitchen for plates on which to serve the excellent looking cake.

"Sort of," Andromeda said, her stomach still queasy.

"Everything will be fine, dear. Just leave it to my Ted, he can charm just about anyone, mark my words."

Andromeda had no doubts of Ted's charm, as she fell victim to it herself. But charming someone required the ability to speak or to smile, and Andromeda knew her parents would not allow Ted to do either. "Mrs. Tonks, I think I might lie down for a spell before Ted and I head over."

"Of course, of course, sweetheart, but take some tea and cake at least dear, you're so thin," she said, clucking away at how little Andromeda was showing. Andromeda kindly accepted the warm cup of tea and the slice of cake and headed back outside and into the garage, climbing the stairs up to the little flat she and Ted shared. As much as his parents begged them to stay in the main house, both Ted and Andromeda felt odd sharing a room with his parents just down the hall and agreed until they could save enough money for their own place, they would live in the converted space above the two-car garage.

Lying down on their bed, Andromeda knew she wouldn't be able have a kip, even though her exhaustion was immense. She was finding her confidence wavering, and was having second thoughts about the whole situation. Perhaps this had been a mistake, perhaps this was not the way her life was suppose to be. Certainly at the beginning of her Hogwarts career she never thought she would find herself pregnant at nineteen, a year away from completing her Healer training, married to a Muggle-born, living in the small flat above his parents' garage. No, this certainly was not the life she had envisioned for herself. In the past when she would have her doubts, she simply had to see the absolute love in his eyes, only had to hear his daily words of devotion to her. But now, even the thought of his love for her could not resolve her doubts, nor her sense of foreboding.

Frustrated she wasn't able to sleep, she got up and finished her tea and managed a few bits of cake, before deciding on what she was going to wear. She tried on several dresses, finally deciding to wear a pale lavender dress with an empire waist, to mask the growing baby in her belly. She got dressed with shaking hands, but with care, making sure her appearance was everything her parents had come to expect from their daughters.

"You are a Black, you come from a long line of pure blood witches and wizards, and with that comes the responsibility of always looking your best," they had drilled into each of the girls. Andromeda and Narcissa had taken their parents' words to heart, always maintaining good posture, excellent manners and always poised with polite conversation. Bellatrix, while maintaining the semblance of proper breeding, was always a little off balance, always looking to find some rebellious way of making herself stand out from the rest. Whispers believed it to be the result from the constant inbreeding the Blacks, like most pureblood families, were known for, but Andromeda personally thought her older sister Bella was simply trying to find a way to rebel, but did not have the conviction to do the thing properly. Her naturally dark Black Family hair she let grow wild, curly and unruly, a source of never ending complaint from mother. But she was always so quiet, always so reserved that she never did anything to really displease them. In fact, she was a source of much pride of late, when it was announced she was engaged to Roldophus Lestrange, a sullen young man from a long pureblood line. Narcissa and Andromeda never like Rodolphus, never liked how poorly he treated their sister, and the fact that he and Bella never looked like they were in love as a newly engaged couple should. But who was she to dictate who her sister could or could not marry, even if it did appear to be a marriage of convenience to merge two families together.

Examining herself in the full-length mirror, Andromeda saw with shame but a little pride that at last she was starting to show. Not terribly noticeable but for someone who maintained her appearance and figure with the utmost care, any slight deviance from the standard she had adhered to was monumental. She put a hand to her stomach, sucking it in but it would not budge. There was definitely someone growing inside her.

"Love, you're obsessing about something that simply is not going to go away any time soon," said a voice from behind her. Whipping around she noticed Ted standing in the doorway, watching her with such intensity, Andromeda felt her knees going weak.

"Teddy, I'm only twelve weeks, I don't think I show be showing this soon." She said, looking back to her reflection.

"Darling, I don't care if you get as big as a house," he said, coming up behind her to wrap his arms around her, placing warm hands on the small bump. "All I care about is that you and this little one are healthy."

"I won't be nearly as pretty if I grow to be as big as a house," she said, holding onto his strong forearms that were still wrapped protectively around her middle.

"Drom, you are bloody perfect in everyway," he said, kissing her cheek slowly, lingering, and Andromeda closed her eyes the feeling of his lips against her skin. She never knew love could feel like this, so passionate and intense. "Are you sure you want to go to this shindig tonight? You know it's going to be shambolic, and I don't want you getting shirty over the mad ramblings of your parents. It's not good for the baby, all that stress."

"Teddy, I'm fine, the baby is fine." She said impatiently. He had become overly protective of her since finding out about the child. "But I need to tell them. I want to tell them. I feel so guilty that I haven't told them sooner."

"Mum said you threw up again today after Apparating home? I thought we talked about me coming to pick you up after your classes were over."

She turned around to look at him, his arms still wrapped around her body. "I'm fine. You don't need to worry about picking me up. You know once I start my residency I'll be there at all hours and you need your rest, not picking me up at three in the morning."

"Sitting behind a desk all day does not require me to be rested on ample amounts of sleep, Drom." he said, raising an eyebrow at her.

"But you're still going out for the Arrows in the fall aren't you? I know how hard you're working towards joining the team, and all that training can be exhausting."

"True, but it's you who should be getting the rest. Did you talk with your advisor about what's going to happen once you start getting further along, or when the baby's born in January?"

She sighed. "Not yet, mostly because I'm afraid they'll kick me out of the program if they found out."

"Just cause your up the duff doesn't mean you can't continue to gen up and be of use!" Ted said, looking affronted. "What is this, 1940? It's the seventies now! Women can work and have kids and the sky won't collapse over our heads. It has been proven."

"I know. They're just… a little old fashioned over there." Andromeda said, straightening out his tie. "Besides, if they do eliminate me from the program, it wouldn't be the end of the world. I want to be a good wife to you. I want to be able to be here when you come home and make your supper and-"

"Drom, you know I don't need any of that nonsense. All I want is for you to be happy. I want our life to be fulfilling and meaningful. And if you want to be a Healer, then you should be a Healer."

"Are you sure?" she asked, not really believing him. She had always been taught a woman's place was in the home. That the domestic arts of cooking and sewing and entertaining and pleasing her husband were all the knowledge a woman really needed. But finding Ted, with the view of equality, of marriage being a partnership, she was always a little startled. She agreed with him, agreed that marriage was partnership and each party was due their respect. She saw how her father treated her mother; saw the subservient nature her mother adopted when her father was home, almost as though she was a little frightened of him. She never wanted a life like that, never wanted to be at the beck and call of a man who merely treated her as an object or something he owned. That was why she had been so determined to be a Healer, so she could have a life of her own, to earn her own money, independent from the demands of anyone but herself. She wanted a home and a husband and children, of course, but those could wait. Her family thought her goals were foolish, more embarrassed than proud by their daughters call of vocation, and more than once she had heard her mother telling her friends over tea that she was doing it to find a nice Healer for a husband, that all the long hours and intensive training she was doing was merely to find a suitable mate. Certainly with her inheritance and careful planning, Andromeda didn't have to work a day for the rest of her life. But she wanted a life separate from her family, and felt the family money was tainted, accumulated from years of shady dealings and even shadier alliances.

That was before she met Ted and her dreams of domestic harmony started barreling towards her with unnatural speed. She was excited about her life with him, excited about the baby she carried, but it was the thought of never seeing her family again that worried her and kept her awake most nights.

"What's the matter?" Ted asked, looking at his wife and the concern clearly written on her face.

"I don't want to lose them Teddy," she said quietly, picking at a stain on his lapel. "As much of a pain in the arse they can be, they're still my family."

"But darling, if they object to our marriage on the pretense of me being a Muggle-born, you have to see how mental that is."

"I know, and it is. It's absolutely mental if that is their only objection. But I know my mum. She'll listen to anything Aunt Walburga tells her, and if that old dragon finds out, we're doomed."

"Sweetheart, whether or not the entire Black Family Tree embraces us, I'm always going to love you, always going to want to take you away and hide you where only I can get to you." He grinned mischievously, and his hands started traveling up her body, following the lines of her curves before stopping just by her breasts. The butterflies in Andromeda's stomach were fluttering rapidly, thinking about how much she wanted him to touch her like that but-

He started to furiously tickle her, causing her body to contract from the sensations, laughing as she tried to move away from him, pleading with him to stop. But he was merciless when it came to tickling her, he love to see how much she would squirm because of how ticklish she was.

"No, Teddy, please don't!" she laughed, trying to get away from him, but he merely grinned wolfishly, and picked her up easily into his strong arms and flopped her down onto their bed, before jumping onto the bed to join, only to continue his efforts in making her breathless with laughter. "Stop!" She squealed with happiness, squirming on the bed, trying to fight him, but he kept her good and pinned.

"Or what?" he said, stopping his hands to rest on her stomach.

"Or I'll…" but Andromeda could think of a good enough threat that might make him reconsider his amusing torture. "I'll kiss you to death."

"Gladly!" he said, lying down on his back looking placid, waiting for his fate.

She hit hard in the stomach, making him melodramatically roll over on his side, feigning injury from such a beating. "You would really let me kill you before your child was born?" she asked him, moving some of his blonde hair away from his face.

"Course not! I simply wanted to see whether you would have the heart to kill me. Especially before we were to tell your parents. I would think you might have wanted a little support on the matter, but seeing is how you want me dead…"

"I don't want you dead," she said looking at him as though the last thing in the world she would want was his death. She could not imagine a life without him, not now when he had saved her from the brink of insanity. "I don't think I would ever want to live in a world without you in it."

"So you're saying you'll be the first to go? Because I've got to tell you love, the moment you die, I die. It's as simple as that."

"Well, we might want to make sure our will is in order in case things don't go well tonight," Andromeda said with more seriousness than Ted was expecting.

"They wouldn't really try and kill us, would they?" he said, looking shocked and a little disturbed.

"Let's just say blasting my name off the family tree might not be the only thing they'll try and blast away."

"So we probably shouldn't mention the baby?" he said, genuinely disappointed. He was proud as a Hippogriff over the fact she was pregnant, and never missed an opportunity it seemed to tell people he was going to have a child.

"No, we shouldn't tell them just yet how virile Muggle-borns really are." She said smiling at him before kissing his nose. "Come on, love, we should get dressed. If we're late, we might as well not show up at all."

They finished getting dressed in the small little flat; Andromeda still worried about her bump and just how obvious it really was and Ted worried he smelled like petrol- "We really need to move out of the garage". Ted said a quick goodbye to his mother and father, before nicking a bottle of good wine from his parents' collection. Andromeda yesterday had made a marvy looking coconut cake, her father's favorite, in an attempt to sway him over with food. Andromeda thought it would be a miracle if they stayed as long as dessert and did not have high hopes they'd even make it past the initial introductions. They debated for a while about whether or not to Apparate, as Andromeda's nausea was not completely in her control, but the alternative was to drive in Ted's Muggle automobile, which, in Andromeda's mind, was simply out of the question. Should her parents see it, they wouldn't stand a chance. She could almost hear their reactions in her head; "So gaudy and ghastly!" her father would say sneering as he always did. "What will the neighbors think?" her mother would gasp and perhaps have one of her fainting spells. So they decided to risk Apparation as the clock was ticking away rapidly.

The gamble paid off, as she felt queasy, a little unsure of herself, but otherwise okay. Nervously, they walked down the lane until they reached the ancient looking brownstone. Ringing the doorbell with a trembling hand, Andromeda stood nervously waiting for someone to greet them.

The door was opened moments later by one of the house elves, a rather large yet lopsided male who wore an old black and white patterned pillowcase in place of proper clothing.

"Tatters," Andromeda said curtly in greeting the house elf, handing over the large cake, Ted handing the creature the bottle of wine.

"Miss Andromeda is welcomed home after so long, but Tatters sees she comes with a Mudblood." Tatters said, taking the bottle from Ted reluctantly as though he were accepting a large bottle of poison.

"Tatters this is Edward Tonks. He is a special guest." Andromeda said sternly, but the house elf didn't know any better. He was made to identify and exploit the differences of others so that unknown guests could quickly be weeded out at large dinner parties. "Where is everyone?" Andromeda said looking around, hoping it wasn't to be just the house elves greeting them.

"Miss Bellatrix is in the sitting room with Master Lestrange and Miss Narcissa. Should Tatters serve the cake in the sitting room with tea now?"

"After dinner, Tatters," Andromeda said, taking Ted by the hand and leading him into the formal sitting room where indeed Bellatrix and Rodolphus were playing a virtually silent game of chess while Narcissa was impatiently reading a book about flower arranging.

"Drom!" Narcissa said, leaping up from her chair to greet her sister. Andromeda was happy to see her, and even more excited that Cissy was glad to see her. She looked radiant in a dress of palest blue, her dark blonde hair pulled back into an elegant bun, no doubt the work of one of the upstairs elves. Andromeda gratefully hugged her sister, who was much smaller and thinner than she or Bellatrix, so delicate in her looks and appearance, but knew her to be just as strong and willful as any of them. "So this is the Mud… Muggle-born?" Narcissa said, trying hard to mask the reservation in her voice, but Andromeda could see that even her sister was impressed by Ted's good looks.

"Narcissa, this is Edward Tonks, Ted, this is my younger sister Narcissa."

"Please to meet you at last," Ted said, shaking Narcissa's hand a little too enthusiastically. Narcissa looked a little startled. "And is this your other sister?" Ted said, looking over to Bellatrix, wearing a dress of deep mauve, her wild black curls hanging loosely around her thin face, her dark eyes dully staring down to the chess set, and did not raise her head from her game to acknowledge anyone had walked into the room.

"Yes, that is Bella and her fiancée Rodolphus Lestange."

Neither of them moved to greet Andromeda nor Ted. They simply continued to stare at the board, thinking of stratagem.

"The resemblance between the two of you is uncanny," Ted said, keeping his voice low as though the sounds of people talking might disturb Bella and Rodolphus' game. Andromeda was always hearing that, constantly being compared to Bella, and had on occasion, despite the two year gap in their ages, had been asked if they were twins. Personally, Andromeda could not see much resemblance between herself and Bella; it was true they shared many of the same features, but they were traits found in many of the Black Family children, like the large dark eyes or the wavy dark brown hair.

But when comparing their personalities, the two girls were night and day. Bellatrix was outgoing, vivacious, and could charm everyone in a room with her beauty and wit. But then once the guests would leave, she would become sullen, morose, and keep to herself. Where as Andromeda, while being friendly and courteous, could also be rather shy. She, too, was taught the art of charming a room, but not with the natural ability Bellatrix had. In a room full of strangers, she could feel overwhelmed and would at times merely stick to those she knew, not attempting to branch out and befriend others, making her come off as aloof, unapproachable and haughty. Andromeda would envy the way Bellatrix always had so many friends and admirers, and hated the way she never seemed to care about any of them.

"Best leave her alone," Narcissa said quietly to Ted and Andromeda. "She's in one of her moods, you know how she can get. And Auntie made her come tonight, so she's not pleased."

Andromeda swallowed hard, thinking she might just vomit after all. "Dragon is here?" she asked Narcissa who looked wary as she nodded her head.

"Uncle Orion was going to come, but he decided at the last minute not to, as usual. And Sirius and Regulus were coming, but mother thought they might stir the pot too much, or at least Sirius would have. Mama wants a 'quiet' evening and didn't want to have to put up with Sirius and Reg bickering all night. Plus, Sirius still has that Potter boy staying with him, and another little friend of his, the half-blood, I forget his name. But Reg said he might come later with Uncle, that is, if Uncle can be persuaded to leave Grimmauld Place."

Uncle Orion, no doubt due to the overbearing nature of his wife, had become a bit of a recluse, never leaving the heavily fortified enchantments of Grimmauld Place. In fact, had it not been for Christmas dinners at Number Twelve, Andromeda would never see her uncle, which was of no real loss as Orion was quite dotty and rather uncouth. Andromeda was disappointed Sirius wasn't coming. She could have used the extra support, especially with his dragon of a mother here tonight. Regulus was always too young and too quiet for her to have been close to, so his presence meant little to her, but felt he might at the very least provide a buffer between Walburga and Ted. "Why don't we go up to my room?" Andromeda said, looking over to Bella and Rodolphus, whose only movements were to direct chess pieces across the board.

"Good idea," Ted and Narcissa said together. They looked at each other for a moment before Ted started to smile; it was infectious causing both sisters to smile as well.

Andromeda hesitated a moment as the other two left the room, looking over to her older sister. "It's good to see you, Bella."

"I wish I could say the same," said Bella's smooth, deeply sensual voice. Andromeda was envious of Bellatrix, of her dark beauty and how easily everything seemed to come to her. She had worked hard to be close to her older sister, to run in the same circles when they were at school together, to find times for them to simply sit for a chat. When Narcissa started at Hogwarts, Andromeda tried establishing a night they all sat together in the Great Hall to eat supper with one another, instead of with their friends. It happened on only one occasion. Bellatrix was never one to befriended anyone if there wasn't something in it for her. And now that her sister was on the outs with the family, and could no longer provide anything of value to her, Bella no longer felt inclined to put forth any effort into her relationship with her sister. Which was a shame. There was a time all three girls played most happily with one another. Now only Narcissa dared attempt anything in the way of civility and friendship towards Andromeda.

Andromeda hurriedly made her way up the stairs to join her husband and younger sister and led the two of them into her bedroom. It had not changed much since her days at Hogwarts. There were still Slytherin banners and mementos covering the walls, photos of her with friends on the grounds or in Hogsmede, and posters of good-looking Quidditch players, flying on brooms, winking and smiling down at them. She felt rather embarrassed having Ted seeing all of her girlhood fantasies plastered everywhere, like these other men were what he was supposed to be aspiring to. Though, seeing the posters, and seeing her new husband, Andromeda knew which one she preferred.

"So, Ted," Narcissa said once they were all settled into the room and the door was fully closed behind them. "How long have you and my sister been seeing each other?"

"Since Hogwarts," Ted said, looking over to Andromeda with affection. "Had classes with her since we were first years, but she kept to her own friends. Hufflepuffs and Slytherins were not exactly known for lasting friendships between the two."

"You were in Hufflepuff?" Narcissa said, and her lip started to curl in disgust, giving her the familiar look as though she had smelled something unpleasant. Andromeda usually called her out on this look, one their father adopted more times than not. So Andromeda gave her a pointed glare and Cissy tried to remove the look from her face but it seemed frozen as she asked less than courteously, "And you liked being in Hufflepuff?"

"Sure did," Ted said jovially, not seeming to notice Narcissa's superior tone or sneer. "Best years of my life were spent in the Hufflepuff common room, that is until I met your sister."

"Drom said you started seeing one another on the sly seventh year?" Narcissa asked, still with that superior tone in her voice, something that was bred into every Black Family member. Andromeda herself had caught it in her own voice when speaking to Maisy Tonks or a less than capable Healer-in-training she was sharing a lab assignment with. She didn't mean to sound arrogant; it just naturally happened, an impulse she couldn't control, although she was of late trying to master it.

"Yep, couldn't believe my luck having her come over to talk to me after a Quidditch match. Thought I'd been hit in the head one too many times with a bludger, thought there was a veela coming towards me."

"Teddy," Andromeda said playfully, blushing over his flattery.

"So Andromeda approached you?" Narcissa said, who had heard a different series of events. When Andromeda had finally broken down and told her sister a slightly altered story of their relationship, it was merely done as a means of lessening the look of absolute horror and disgust.

"He's a Mudblood, Drom! What are you thinking?" she had said to her, in this very room one night about two months ago.

"You don't understand Cissy," she pleaded, desperately wanting her to understand, "he so sweet and kind and absolutely gorgeous. He comes from a really good family-"

"Of Muggles!" she said, not bothering to keep her voice down. "Either you tell mama and papa or I will Drom! This is serious!"

"She came over to me, looking elated because Slytherin had won the match, dressed all in green with silver ribbons in her hair, looking so gorgeous. And then she said, 'Good game'." Ted clutched dramatically at his heart as though he had never heard sweeter words in his life. "I had it bad after that, madly in love I was with the first words she ever spoke to me."

Andromeda remembered the match, remembered watching the game, only half-heartedly cheering for the Slytherin team. She could not keep her eyes off of one of the Hufflepuff's beaters, whose hair was like the color of the sun. She had jokingly asked her friends to dare her to go over and talk to him, when in reality she was jumping at the chance to meet the boy but needed the excuse to save face. They all thought it laugh afterwards, how dumbfounded Ted Tonks had looked after Andromeda left him standing by the entrance to the locker rooms. "Just like a Hufflepuff!" They joked. Her friends called her a heartbreaker and she laughed along with them but inside Andromeda was reeling. She suddenly found herself lingering in classes he shared with her, trying to find an opportunity to speak casually with him again, trying as deviously and slyly as she could to find out more about him. But who could she ask without revealing she was interested in a Hufflepuff?

Luckily, he made the next move. It was in Potions class, Professor Slughorn had not yet come in to start his lecture so the students were still chatting to one another while getting situated in their seats. Andromeda found her usual spot next to her best friend Cassandra but there was a folded piece of paper waiting for her. Thinking it something left over from the class previous she put it into her bag without thinking, taking out her Advanced Potions textbook. That night while doing her homework, she stumbled across the piece of paper and feeling bored and noisy decided to read it.

Andromeda Black,

You may not know me, and probably think this a note from some nutter, but you spoke to me after my dismal loss in Quidditch against your house the other day. While you seemed excited about the win, I found myself excited by the chance of trying to speak to you again. I know I may be just a lowly Hufflepuff, and you'll probably just show this note to your friends and laugh at my expense, but I want you to know I think you're the bees knees. Meet me in the library on Thursday during your lunch. If you don't come, no problem, I won't bother you again. But I'd love it if you did.

Edward Tonks

So with a veiled excuse about finishing an essay, Andromeda made a hurried exit to the library come lunch on Thursday, where Ted was waiting for her right outside the entrance, looking put out. But seeing her standing there, flustered from having run part of the way, he looked as though he had just seen something truly miraculous. They sat in the library, far in the corner of the Restritive Area, not many students there due to it being lunch period, and they sat and talked. Talked about nothing and everything all at once, sat and talked until Andromeda realized she was going to be terribly late for Ancient Runes. After that it was secretive messages passed back and forth to one another, disguised as crumpled pieces of parchment or carefully folded origami. Cassandra, who always sat next to Andromeda in the classes they shared, noticed the notes after a time and assumed them to be from a secret admirer, but her girlish fantasies turn to thoughts that Andromeda, so mature for her age, was having a love affair with the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, a rugged, attractive man only five years older than them, back from an impressive world tour battling Dark Creatures and Dark Wizards. Never would she have guessed the notes had come from a boy their own age, and never would she have thought that he was a Hufflepuff.

After notes and 'surprised' meetings in Hogsmede, came the stolen kisses in empty corridors, even more frenzied, passionate encounters sneaking out late into empty classrooms. Andromeda thought her passion for this young man came from the thrill of it being so wrong, that never would her friends or family understand a relationship with a Hufflepuff. It wasn't until she slowly started to realize she had developed feelings for Ted when she found out he was Muggle-born. She was stunned. How did she not know this about him? Why did it ever come up before when they talked about their families? How could she have fallen in love with a Mudblood? She felt cheated, almost betrayed when he had told her about his Muggle relatives. Suddenly there was a new, more dangerous edge to the relationship. If her sisters found out, her parents would know, and she knew what their reaction would be. After a time, Ted had asked once why she felt the need to hide their relationship, that he was positively bursting to tell everyone, and all she could answer was, "it's complicated." She knew she had to end it as there would be no future for the two of them. But every time she tried bringing it up, she found her voice failing, her courage leaving her. She simply could not leave him.

After graduation, with her beginning her Healer's training, and Ted looking to secure a position on a professional Quidditch team, Andromeda suddenly saw the out she needed. Told him that with their lives moving in such different directions it wouldn't be fair for either of them to continue their relationship. He looked hurt, almost on the brink of tears, but nodded his head, saying she had a fair point. That first month of summer, without friends surrounding her, always being with her mad family and her heart aching for someone she could never have, Andromeda spent most of her time in her room, depressed. The family she had cared for so much, had placed her faith in their ideology that had been drilled into her since birth, seemed stifling, overbearing, and cruel. She was suddenly seeing the stupidity in their beliefs about Muggle-borns and the need for a pureblood race. She was seeing for the first time the extreme bigoted nature of her aunt, the harshness in her father, and the quiet resentful servitude of her mother. She was seeing life in a completely different way, and with the start of Healer training, being around people who were in their core kind and good and caring, saw how wrong she had been. She saw for the first time the droll nature of the elaborate dinner parties, and fund-raising to campaigns for furthering the demoralization of goblins, and saw just how gentle even a werewolf could be. She saw how everything she had been taught was a lie.

So she sent an owl to him, just a simple note asking after him and if he had found a team to sign up with. The response was late in coming, but long in reply. They continue to write one another, the flurry of owls surprising even her mother, who was accustom to having correspondence everyday from dozens of friends and acquaintances. After a few months they met in London, going on proper dates out in the open for everyone to witness, albeit in more heavily populated Muggle areas, places her family or friends wouldn't dream of going to, like the cinema. She told him why she broke it off after Hogwarts, told him about her family's firm belief that Muggle-borns were the scum of the earth, that there was no need for them in Wizarding society. He understood, he was always so understanding, but they had their rows, and more than once they declared themselves to be "on a break", but they always found their way back to one another, always made the same apologizes for being so stupid and blind and foolish, always the same soft spoken declarations of undying love.

Then, on a cold winter's night in February after seeing Cabaret at the cinema, Ted brought her back to his house while his parents were out, they made love for the first time in his room, the seeming to make their bodies ache for such unbridled passion. Andromeda had always held to the belief, ingrained into her from childhood, that she should wait until she was married to have sex, that it was a sacred act for only man and wife to perform. But being in Ted's arms, feeling so loved and secure, she allowed her body to be granted the release from the aching she had felt for so long. Afterward, her naked body lying on top of his did she finally admit the true depth of her love for him, finally said the one thing she had been afraid of admitting aloud.

"I think you might be, you know, 'the one', Teddy." She said, her breath still trying to return to normal from the recent frenzy of activity.

"That's a pretty big statement, are you sure it's just not the post coupling bliss talking?" Ted asked, stroking her hair.

"No, I think I've been in love with you since the day I walked up to you by the locker rooms. But I've been too afraid to admit it."

"Because of your family?"

"Because I'm afraid I feel this way for you, but you don't feel the same." She said, sounding meek and small against his firm body.

He put a hand under her chin, lifting her head up so he could look into her eyes. "Andromeda Black, never have I ever been in love with a girl than the way I am in love with you. And someday soon, you will be my wife… if you'll have me."

She smiled, and kissed his mouth. "Soon, but not today."

And that had been her response for months afterward, as he would ask her at random moments to be his wife, like over breakfast or lying in bed together, half asleep. "Marry me," he'd ask her. "Soon, but not today," she would always answer until it had become almost a running joke between them. That was, until the day she discovered that her entire life, all of her plans, and her love for Ted were turned upside down. She had suspected it for some time, had hoped that the missed periods were caused by stress and being overworked at Healer training. But there was no denying a positive test result from St. Mungo's, administered by herself secretly using the stolen test equipment, then again by a certified Healer.

She remembered telling Ted she was pregnant, remembered the look of absolute joy on his face when he asked in disbelief, "I'm going to be a father?" Andromeda, who initially saw the pregnancy as a mistake that could easily be rectified, soon found herself just as excited as he was. It was then he proposed, no ring to give her, only a few sickles in his pocket, as he earnestly asked for her to be his wife, solemnly saying that no child of his was going to grow up in a broken home without a proper mum and dad, and that his mother would skin him alive if she found out he was having sex outside of marriage.

So Andromeda agreed happily, not thinking of her family or their reaction, not thinking of how this was going to affect her completion of Healer training, not thinking about what she was really signing up for. It was only when she went home, coming in late after her curfew, being scolded for nth time about appearances, and what the neighbors would say if they saw her coming in at such a late hour, did Andromeda realize what marrying Ted might mean.

She couldn't sleep that night, tossing and turning over the idea that her family was never going to approve, never going to accept a Muggle-born in the family. And the child… what would they do when they found out she was pregnant with a half-blood? There would be chaos like nothing else, she would become a disgrace, another hole on the family tree. So she snuck over to Aunt Walburga's house early the next morning, going up to Sirius' room to talk things over with him. Apart from Cissy, who could not always be trusted with her secrets, Sirius was the closest thing she had to a sibling, a sympathetic brother she could confide in about how disgruntled she was with the family. Even James Potter, who was spending part of his summer with Sirius, had told her that she was mad to think that the opinions of the family matter more than her love for Ted.

"No, it shouldn't matter." Andromeda agreed, with more determination than ever. "In fact, screw our family. Ted and I are getting married."

They had told his parents calmly a few days after she had resolved herself to the marriage, sitting them down one Sunday afternoon over tea and biscuits. They presented the situation for them, that they loved one another, and that they planned on moving to their own place once they saved enough money, and they did not need their help, only wished for their blessing. Michael Tonks looked momentarily stunned that his nineteen-year-old son and his pregnant girlfriend were coming to him like this, as this was not the way he had envisioned his son's future. But Michael also thought there was no such thing as magic or wizards, and he was certainly proved wrong on both points. So he threw his hands in the air and hugged them both, telling them he was grateful they came to him and Maisy and that of course they had his blessing. Maisy Tonks was tearful, simply beaming excitedly at the prospect of having a grandchild and her son being so remarkably happy.

And so it came to pass two weeks later, in a small ceremony with his entire side of the family in attendance, and only Sirius representing the Blacks, Andromeda and Ted were married. There were no frills, nothing like the grand affair she and Cissy had talked about as little girls playing with their dolls. Andromeda had worn a simple white peasant dress, looking extremely fashionable, and he in his best leisure suit of navy blue. He looked so handsome, standing in the front yard of his house, the sunlight making his golden hair glow even more. Andromeda was reminded of pictures she had seen of the Greek god Apollo as she said her vows and simply could not stop reveling in the fact that she was now married to such a remarkable man, to such a god.

They shared their first night together as man and wife in a small hotel in London, just a few blocks away from Grimmauld Place, but to Andromeda it felt like they could have been continents away. She was so blissfully happy, lying in his arms, her fingers tracing the outlines of his sculpted chest that she felt she could tackle the world, or at least anything her insane family could throw at her.

"So this romance between you, it's serious?" Narcissa said, looking between her sister and the man next to her, smoothing out the wrinkles in her pale blue dress.

"Pretty serious," Andromeda said, looking to Ted with almost a guilty expression. She wanted to tell her sister everything, wanted to confide in someone about this enormous secret that was starting to weigh heavily on her like a terrible burden. But as much as Andromeda loved her sister, she knew she couldn't trust her, not with something like this. The sneer on her face said everything she needed to know.

"Well, don't expect mama or papa to be thrilled about the whole thing, Drom. They're livid enough as it is with you running away on us, after finding out you've been seeing this guy."

"I'm a grown woman, my life is my own, they lost any say in what I do the moment they practically threw me out of the house."

"Drom, they didn't throw you out. They were… surprised is all," Narcissa said. "They… calmed down after a time. I sent you an owl saying it was safe to come back."

"They never would have found out about the whole thing if you hadn't ratted me out," Andromeda said accusingly.

"Well, I just hate secrets, hate the mess and the broken hearts they leave in their wake, which was exactly what you're doing to mama. You know how delicate her health has been of late."

Andromeda snorted back laughter. "Mother's health is always 'delicate' when something unpleasant happens or she doesn't want to be involved in something. Trust me, she is going to outlive us all."

"Well, I've missed you," Narcissa said. "You don't know what it's like being here with only Bella as company."

"Why is she still even hanging around with Rodolphus? It doesn't even seem like they like each other, and now they're planning on getting married?"

"I don't know," Narcissa said wearily. "Personally I think mama arranged the whole thing with Mrs. Lestrange as some old fashion betrothal scenario, you know. Like how mama and papa were married."

"People really still do that?" Ted asked, looking shocked that such dealings still took place in this day and age.

"Oh believe me, if I wasn't seeing you and now on the outs with mother's good graces, I would be the next on her list in trying to find a suitable pureblood husband, as a way of aligning two great houses together."

"Like a business transaction?" Ted asked.

"Very much so. My mother and father met, what Cissy, two or three times before they were married?"

"I'd say two, not counting the rehearsal dinner." Narcissa said, leaning back on the pillows of Andromeda's bed to stare up at the ceiling.

"And my aunt and uncle, Sirius' parents, are cousins and their marriage was arranged for them as well."

"Only because Auntie couldn't find herself a husband. The scandal, I'm sure for my grandmother, having her youngest son married before her oldest daughter, because mama and papa were married and had two children by the time Auntie and Uncle were married." Narcissa added.

Ted looked thoroughly repulsed, shaking his head. Clearly, there was more to the Black Family than Ted knew about.

"I don't even know if I want to get married." Narcissa said. "The whole business just seems unfair for the women involved."

"It's only unfair if the men make it that way." Andromeda said, giving Ted a small grateful smile. Never once at he raised his voice at her, never once had he laid a hand on her. He treated her with such respect and care that Andromeda still found herself overwhelmed by his graciousness. When she would mention just how wonderful he was to her, he'd shrug and say, "Thank mum, she raised me to be a gentleman. Well, tried at least."

"Well, at any rate, I'm waiting a while before I'm marrying anyone. I'm graduating Hogwarts after this year, and then, I don't know, maybe I'll spend some of my inheritance and travel, see the places I've always wanted to, away from mama and papa."

"But remember Cissy, you'll have to be back in time for Bella's wedding. No doubt they'll disinherit you if you miss that affair," Andromeda said with every manner of seriousness.

"Oh, no doubt," Narcissa said.

There was a small knock on the door. "Enter," Andromeda said. A female house elf gave a small curtsy as she entered the room. "What is it, Paisley?"

"Miss Narcissa is requested in the dining room."

"Is dinner ready?" Narcissa asked sitting up.

"No, Mistress and Madame Walburga are wanting Miss Cissy for her opinion in the matter of the place settings."

"Again?" Narcissa said groaning.

"Yes, Miss," Paisley said, "she also asked that the Mudblood and Miss Andromeda to follow shortly as dinner will be served promptly at seven."

"Alright," Narcissa said following the house elf out of the room.

"This is all too much." Ted said, looking around her bedroom as though for the first time.

"I told you it was madness." Andromeda said, daringly walking over to sit in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Not that, you." Ted said, looking at her with a curious expression. "You're different here than you are when we're alone."

"What do you mean?"

"The way you treat these, little creatures, what are they again?"

"House elves," Andromeda said, shaking her head confusedly, "what about them?"

"The tone in your voice when you address them, it's so full of contempt or something. I can't quite put my finger on it."

"They're house elves, Ted, how else would you want me to treat them?"

"Maybe with a little more respect is all," Ted said frowning.

"You don't treat the servants with respect, sweetheart. They were bred to be this way, to run a house and cook and clean. They're not people, they're creatures."

"No, they're not people, but they still have feelings too you know. It's like that boy you keep prattling on about, that you can't believe how normal he seemed."

"Well he was! Extremely quiet and polite, always looking to Sirius or James as though something he was saying was too offensive or rude. But he was ever so calm and rational, and just seemed like a good-hearted sort of person, the complete opposite from anyone I'd peg Sirius as befriending." She laughed a little, thinking of something. "You know, I'd never thought I'd see the day there was such a thing as a tame werewolf."

"But he's just a boy, he's only a werewolf for one night a month. Other than that, he's just a boy."

"Teddy, sweetheart, you grew up with Muggles. You don't know how most of the world sees creatures like him. Even if he is the nicest person I've ever met, that still doesn't change the fact that he's a killer, an unnatural predator towards humans."

"So what? All wizards treat men who happen to turn into creatures a few days out of the year with contempt and disrespect?"

"Well, sure," Andromeda said, not really seeing where Ted was going with this.

Ted was shaking his head slightly, looking a little wary. "Drom, I love you, you know I do, but sometimes you say things that make me wonder about the girl I married."

"What did I say?" she said, getting off of his lap looking affronted.

"He's a boy," Ted repeated. "Just a boy, yet you dismiss him for what he becomes. Just as you dismiss these little elves that run this house."

"But they're house elves! How else are you supposed to treat them?"

"Maybe with a few please and thank yous for starters." Ted said.

"Ted," Andromeda said sternly, pursing her lips. "I love you, but you are still woefully ignorant to the ways of our world."

"Then my dear, we are at an impasse, because I don't want to argue with you about this, but I also cannot see how treating people in such a manner is right. We will simply have to agree to disagree."

"Fine," she said stubbornly, crossing her arms over her chest. An awkward silence formed between them as neither one dared to be the first to speak. But before long, they heard the dinner bell chime as they were summoned to dine. At the prospect of a dinner with her family, Andromeda broke down a little from her stubborn position, hugging him tightly as he stood up.

"I don't want us to fight." She said complacently, "If you want me to be more sympathetic I can try and be more sympathetic."

"Drom, it's alright to have your own opinions about things, we don't have to agree on every topic. We can debate things."

"But I don't want there to be tension between us when we go down there. My aunt I swear can smell fear and unrest, and I'm… scared about going down there."

"It'll be alright, love, I'll turn on the old Tonks charm and I'll win your mum and dad over, just wait and see." He kissed the top of her head. "Come on, before we're late and spoil everything."

As quickly and gracefully as they could, they hurried downstairs and into the grand dining room. Growing up, most dinners were served in the formal dining room, their mother insisting that the best way for the girls to learn proper etiquette was to practice daily. Every evening the three Black girls were made to dress nicely and sit and learn the art of fine dining. So the fine silver and bone china laid out on the table, the crystal glasses glittering in the light from the dozens of candles burning brightly in the spectacular chandelier above the table, did not faze Andromeda in the slightest.

Ted, however, who had grown up eating at the kitchen table, or in front of the television on trays, could not help but drop his jaw over the splendor. Andromeda gave him a little pinch to remind him of his manners, and instantly his mouth snapped shut. Everyone was waiting for them, standing behind their appropriate seat, which had been carefully arranged. Bella and Narcissa were to sit on one side of the table, Rodolphus between them. She and Ted were to take the places opposite them, an empty place setting for Regulus, should he make an appearance. Andromeda saw with a little disgust that while everyone was to be eating on Black Family finest, Ted had been given a wooden plate and bowl, as well as rudimentary utensils. His cup was made of tin. What the house elves ate and drank with.

"Papa," Andromeda said, coming over to her father, Cygnus Black, who stood behind his usual seat at the head of the table, and kiss him lightly on the cheek. "Mother," she said, kissing her mother, Druella Rosier Black, who stood to the right of her father. Neither of them said a word to her, and in fact barely acknowledged them coming into the room at all, as though the kisses given by their daughter were nothing more than a small breeze blowing past their faces.

"Is this the Mudblood?" Aunt Walburga said, standing at the other end of the table, the seat usually reserved for mother, but tonight was given to Walburga out of respect.

"Auntie," Andromeda said curtly, brushing her cheek against the bony one of her aunts.

"He's pretty enough," Aunt Walburga said, looking Ted up and down.

Ted stepped forward in an attempt to introduce himself but Andromeda said quickly, "Our apologizes if we kept you waiting."

"Andromeda take your seat, or I'm going to drop dead from hunger," Aunt Walburga said, looking expectantly for someone to pull her chair out for her.

"Let me help with that, ma'am." Ted said, seeing how Mr. Black had pulled the chair out for Mrs. Black, Rodolphus doing the same for Bellatrix.

"I don't need your filthy hands spoiling anymore of this evening than they already have," Aunt Walburga said, a cold sneer on her face as she looked at Ted with contempt. "It was damn good of my brother and his wife to even let you into this house. I shudder to think of what the neighbors would say if they knew this place was being defiled by the likes of you. I had wanted you to eat in the kitchens with the other creatures but our sweet Narcissa intervened. You're much too softhearted, Narcissa, it's going to get you into real trouble some day. Anyway, the house elf should be doing this for me."

Ted looked startled as he helped Andromeda into her seat before almost taking his own, but Andromeda shook her head fiercely at him and he quickly stood up again. Andromeda had coached him the night before about what to say and how to act. She had told him that it would be best if he didn't speak unless spoken to, as well as teaching him the proper way of using the correct utensil for certain meals, and to never sit down until all the women had taken their seats and always stand when a lady leaves the room.

"It's like being back in the bloody Victorian age!" Ted had said, his eyes wide trying to remember every little detail Andromeda was patiently trying to explain. "I'm not expected to bow or anything, am I?" Andromeda said that was for another lesson.

A house elf soon scurried out of the swinging kitchen door to pull out Walburga's chair for her, all the while she was rambling on and on about how Druella was being too soft on the elves, that they needed more discipline, that none of her elves would dare keep a guest waiting. With all of the ladies seated at last, the men took their seats.

"Druella, let me have my darling Kreacher come over and teach your elves a thing or two about how a proper home is run."

"Walburga, let my wife run our home in the manner she sees fit," Cygnus said curtly as Druella bowed her head, silent as always. Walburga Black was Cygnus' older sister and growing up, the two were thick as thieves, usually plotting against their brother, Alphard, who was the middle child and so very different from either of his two siblings. However, time and age had made both siblings irritable and more than once hexes had been hurled at the other in rage. But when it came to family matters, they were resolutely behind the other in constant support.

"Cy, I'm not telling your wife to do anything. I'm merely saying that if I were to be hosting a dinner party, even if it is for that spoiled brat you call a daughter and this filthy thing she's no doubt fucking-"

"Auntie!" Narcissa said blushing.

"-my guests would not have to wait for a bloody elf to pull out a chair for them." Walburga continued finding no fault in her pronouncement. Andromeda saw Ted's anger rising at the cruelty she had in talking about her, but she just put a hand lightly on his knee to let him know it was all right. She had warned him of this, warned him how vulgar her family was.

"As we are not in your home, but in mine, I'll ask you to keep those matters to yourself. I'll have no more of it." Cygnus said, as two house elves came around to serve the first course, a clear broth soup.

"So, Rodolphus darling," Walburga gushed, "I was having tea with your dear mother the other day and we were talking about the wedding. When do you and our sweet Bella plan on the happy day?"

"Dunno," Rodolphus said dully, slurping down some of his soup after everyone had been served and Cygnus had given the signal for them to eat. "Whenever Bella likes, I suppose."

"I was thinking fall," Bella said, sipping her soup delicately. "Perhaps October."

"So soon dear? Wouldn't a spring wedding be more appropriate?" Walburga said. "There hasn't been a proper amount of time for the engagement. And think of your poor mother, how could we prepare a wedding so soon?"

"Whatever you like, Auntie. I just like the colors in the fall." Bella said smiling sweetly at her aunt. She always looked so beautiful when she smiled.

"Yes, I suppose those tones would suit your complexion much better than the colors appropriate for spring. Beautiful Narcissa, when you marry you should do so during that time." Walburga said appraising her. "I don't know how you got that lovely dark blonde hair of yours, certainly not from the Blacks. No doubt from your side of the family, Druella."

Druella gave her sister-in-law a small smile, quietly returning to her soup.

"Anyway, if you are insistent on a fall wedding Bella, dear, you must let me know of a date right away. We'll need to start preparations as soon as possible and the invitations will have to be sent at once."

"Yes, Auntie," Bella said, with that same sickly sweet tone in her voice, and Andromeda knew she couldn't care less about what was supposed to be the happiest day of her life.

"What about Dromeda, Auntie? What time of year suits her?" Narcissa said, looking to her sister smiling sweetly, but Andromeda was warning her with her eyes not to bring any more attention to herself and subsequently Ted.

Walburga appraised her niece for a moment. "I don't think we'll have to worry about a wedding for this one. No decent man is going to want to touch her after she's been with the Mudblood. He'll not want himself a disease-ridden whore for a wife. Oh Cygnus, I ran into Alphard the other day at the Ministry."

"In trouble again?" Cygnus said not really paying attention, his glassy gaze fixed on the soup in his bowl.

"No, apparently he's working," Walburga said cruel laughter in her voice. This got Cygnus' attention.

"Working?" he asked, the all too familiar sneer on his disbelieving face.

"Merlin knows what he's doing, but he was wearing the robes!"

"Working? Our brother?"

"Of course I yelled at him. He's a gentleman, a member of the Black Family. Told him he was an embarrassment to our good name making others think we don't have the funds to support ourselves. Working is so…" Walburga said searching for the right word.

"Degrading." Cygnus finished her sentence, still sneering maliciously.

"I was going to say rustic," Walburga said, "but I like yours better. It is degrading."

"Well, I've lost a bit of appetite." Cygnus said, putting down his soupspoon. "Bloody Alphard."

"I told him if mama and papa were still alive they'd agree with me." Walburga said indignantly, "but he just laughed and walked away. Any more of this behavior, Cy, and we'll have no choice but to disown him." Andromeda liked her uncle Alphard. He could be a little off putting, was a little wacky, but after years of abuse as a child from his older sister, he never put up with any of her mad ravings or cruel behavior. He was more lenient about the stricter aspects of their family breeding and was a never-ending source of good-natured amusement for his lack of tact and manners. There was also the unspoken nature of his personal life.

"Walla, he's our brother. He's our blood. As much as I disagree with his personal affairs, I find it hard to turn my back on family." Cygnus said, and it was the first time in Andromeda's life she had heard her father stand up for his brother, or any for the "unworthy" parts of his family. Perhaps there was hope for her and Ted after all.

"That is no excuse." Walburga said sharply. "Our family has been a leader of dignity and class and good breeding for generations. We are something other Wizarding families aspire to, want to be apart of or at least in our good graces. The roots of our history are strong, but even the strongest trees can have branches that are sickly. They simply need to be removed to prevent disease from spreading." Walburga was staring intensely at Andromeda as she said this, making Andromeda uncomfortable, looking down into her nearly full bowl of soup, unable to eat. Even when hatred was surging through her body and she would have liked nothing better than to tell her aunt to go to hell, Andromeda still felt the sting of shame, of feeling like a disgrace to her entire family.

"How is Healer training going, Drom?" Narcissa said still smiling sweetly. Andromeda didn't know if she was trying to defuse the tension, or was simply trying to draw the attention to her for some more sinister purpose, but either way, Andromeda was not appreciating all the eyes in the room on her.

"Very well, thank you, Cissy," Andromeda trying to drop the matter.

"Between Alphard and this little shit, people are going to think we have no money at all, that we're to be apart of the working class!"

"Auntie," Andromeda said as politely as she could, "my desire to be a Healer does not stem from making money. Merely as a means of contributing something to the Wizarding World… and bringing more honor to our family name." She added for good measure.

Walburga was silent, chewing on a piece of bread slowly. "I can't argue with bringing more acclaim to our family, and let us not forget the great Phineas Nigellus, a Hogwarts Headmaster. But you are a woman, Andromeda Black. Women in our family have never had the desire, and certainly not the need, to obtain employment."

"Well I think it's a noble cause," Narcissa said proudly. "I could not work with the sick day in and day out."

"Narcissa," Druella said, her soft voice was never raised, but it always carried force. "The sick are not an appropriate dinner topic."

"Sorry, mama, I only meant that Andromeda is doing noble work. I, for one, am proud of her."

The table was silent. Andromeda never felt such an odd mix of love and apprehension toward her sister that she found herself unable to speak, while her parents and her aunt clearly had nothing to say to Narcissa's pronouncement.

"I'm quite proud of her as well," Ted said breaking the silence as the house elves came around to collect the soup bowls. "She is top of her class and all of her teachers say she is going to be brilliant."

"Ted," Andromeda said her voice low, warning him with her eyes for him not to say anymore.

"No, Drom, they should know how well you're doing," Ted continued as they were served their second course.

"And where do you get off telling us that we need to know anything?" Walburga said cruelly.

"I'm begging your pardon, ma'am, but your niece is a very accomplished witch and does not deserve the disrespect you've given to her this evening."

"Ted." Andromeda said startled, her eyes wide, waiting for the explosion.

"Well, I, NEVER," Walburga said, her pale face going bright red with rage.

"We invited you here tonight, boy, with nothing but the respect your kind deserve, even allowed you sit at our table, and you dare to presume to tell US how we are to treat our daughter?" Cygnus said, his voice becoming dangerously sharp and mean, a voice Andromeda had associated with getting a lashing.

"With all due respect, sir, but you have dismissed your daughter on my account. She has been living with me these past few weeks-"

"Ted-" Andromeda said sharply, trying to intervene but Ted ignored her.

"- and it has been killing her to not have your acceptance and love anymore."

"She is a Black, she knows her place, knows there are certain duties and rules every member must adhere to. She has broken her mother's heart by running away, by seeing you, by turning her back on her family and the values we hold dear-" Cygnus said, his voice still steeled and cruel.

"Papa, please," Andromeda begged.

"-And I'm not going to have some snot-nosed Mudblood speak to me like this in own house!" Cygnus banged his fists on the table, making the fine china rattle, the candles flicker.

"You may be pretty enough," Walburga said, her face still a deep shade of red looking at Ted, "but beauty is only skin deep and when it comes down to it, the only thing that matters, that ever really matters in this world, is blood. And yours is unclean, unworthy of the purest magical blood that runs in our veins."

"Teddy, let's just go," Andromeda said quietly through her silent tears, pulling on his jacket sleeve.

"And even though this slut has that same blood, it clearly has been tainted. Happens in the best of families." Walburga said stiffly.

Ted stood up sharply making both Walburga and her father stand as well. "Ma'am, I've tried to keep calm, to not speak out like Andromeda told me not to, I've tried to be polite but I cannot have you insulting my wife in this manner any longer!"

The world around her seemed to be draining of color, she could not feel her arms or legs, could not feel her warm tears on her face. The world seemed to stop in that moment as the words "my wife" came tumbling out of Ted's mouth. He appeared to be unaware of anything wrong, had already become so accustomed to calling her his wife that the phrase passed by his lips without a second thought. But it had not gone unnoticed by the rest of the table.

"Your… WIFE?" Cygnus bellowed and Andromeda really did fear for her life in that moment as she had never seen her father so livid. Her mother was openly crying, sobbing about where did she go wrong with raising such a child. Narcissa simply looked stunned, a mixture of disgust and admiration frozen on her face. Bella just sneered as she always did and Rodolphus just kept eating as though there was nothing going on.

"Please, papa, let me explain," Andromeda said, standing up and putting herself between Ted and the table, her hand reaching into her pocket for her wand, Ted, behind her, apparently doing the same.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Cygnus roared, his own wand in his hand shot off a jinx that in his rage missed them by several feet, singeing the wall behind Walburga's head.

"Papa, please!" Andromeda begged, backing away a little bit from the table, Ted's hands on her shoulders were trying to steer her away from the scene. "Let me explain! I wanted to tell you, wanted you to be there, I love him, papa!"

"LOVE?" Walburga said, matching her brother's intensity. "How the hell can you love something so vile, so unnatural and mutated? What a disgusting slag you really are." Walburga spat in her direction.

"Please, I love this man, and yes, we were married, but I love you all too! And I don't want to lose you!" Andromeda said, still fighting to stay in the room as Ted was insistently saying, "Drom, we've got to go, this isn't fair or safe for you." And her father shot another hex towards Ted, missing him by inches this time.

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Cygnus bellowed again, throwing one of the beautiful crystal wine glasses at them where it shattered against the wall.

"PAPA!" Andromeda said sobbing, still fighting against Ted. "Mama, please, tell him to listen to me-"

"You are no child of mine," her mother said through her tears.

"Andromeda Callidora Black I banish you from this house and from all houses associated with our good name." Walburga said, like a judge pronouncing a death sentence to a guilty defendant.

"P-please," Andromeda sobbed, her body seemed to be collapsing on her, not wanting her to hear her aunt's words, and was holding being held upright by Ted's strong hands.

"You have lost all privileges and rights to any of the Black family fortune and you are to be blasted away from the family tree. Your name will be wiped away from our records. It will be as though you never existed."

"Papa, please," she begged, sounding like a pathetic wounded animal. "P-please, mama, you d-don't understand."

"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!" Her father said, looking as though he might murder the lot of them, fire in his eyes, the knuckles on the hand gripping his wand white.

"Drom, let's go," Ted said with some urgency, and she no longer had any fight left in her, let her body be led away by his strong hands, turning her back on them. Something whizzed over there heads as another crystal goblet and a heavy book was thrown in their direction, seemingly from nowhere. "We're getting the hell out of here," Ted said, scooping Andromeda up and running out the door with her. As soon as the door slammed shut, Andromeda knew it would be the last time she would ever set foot in this house, or any of her family's homes. No doubt Walburga and her father were already placing the curses to repeal her from the buildings, no doubt her aunt would be leaving soon enough to take pleasure in blasting her away from the beautiful tapestry. She turned her head into Ted's chest, crying into his strong body, her hands grasping tightly to the lapels on his jacket as though she was at risk of falling away from him.

"Sweetheart," he said soothingly.

"W-we need to g-go," she said through her sobs. "Apparate now, in case they c-come after us."

Ted didn't need any further instruction as he Apparated both of them back to his parent's front yard. The night sky was cloudy, and no stars were visible to the naked eye, stars so carefully charted and learned by her and her sisters in their youth. Black children were typically given the names of stars or constellations. "The purity of our blood makes us stronger, godlike," they had been taught, "you are deserving of names of the lights of heaven." But she no longer was Andromeda Black. She no longer was deserving of her name. She was no one; she had no history or background, no family legacy. She was to be stricken from the records. It would be as though she had never existed.

"Drom?" Ted ask hesitantly, slowly putting her down on the ground, but her feet did not want to support her weight as she collapsed on herself, renewing her crying. "Andromeda, look at me," Ted said, sitting down on the grassy earth with her. She looked up at him through her tears at his face, hidden slightly in dark of night. "Andromeda Tonks, you are my wife. You are my family. You are my greatest joy and my deepest passion. Those bastards back there, as much as you might look like them or share their blood, are not your family; they were not those who will love you despite everything. They're the ones who couldn't care a flying fuck about you. They are too self absorbed, too needy for the attention of others. And they don't deserve you."

"Teddy," she moaned, climbing onto his lap and holding him close. He was right. He was her family, he was the one who had showered her with love and affection every moment they shared together, he was the one who loved her even though her family belittled him, called him 'unnatural'. He was the father to her child; a child conceived in the love they held for one another, growing stronger with every passing day. He would always be with her, always support her, and always come through for her. Not those people back there. She might share their blood, but they were no family of hers, they weren't anything to her.

If this all was true, why did she feel like there was a hole missing in her heart?

It took her a while before she could settle herself down, and despite Ted's soothing voice and his attempts at comforting her while holding each other in bed, she still was unable to sleep, the sorrow of losing those she had called mother, father and sister making her restless and uneasy. Out of them all, she wished Narcissa would be here for her, that she might have stood up for her when their father was aiming curses at them, to not look so disgusted with the discovery of her marriage. But their teaching, ingrained into the three girls since birth was a hard notion to purge away, and Andromeda did not blame Cissy for not stepping up. In all likelihood, she would have been forsaken as well had she said anything.

"Sweetheart, you need to sleep. It's not good for the baby." Ted said, running a hand through his blonde hair, bewildered watching his wife cry. "Please, tell me what I can do to help."

"You've already d-done so much Teddy," she said, "there's nothing you can do."

"Maybe if I went back there and apologized for what I said to them. Thinking back on it, it was pretty stupid of me to say some of that stuff."

"It would have come out anyway," she said, sniffling. "The devil you know is better than the devil you don't, I suppose."

"And your aunt might give Satan a run for his money."

She laughed a little. "You're the only person I've ever seen stand up to my father and my aunt like that."

"Well more people need to! I don't understand the fascination your lot have with all this 'pureblood' nonsense."

"My lot?"

"Well not you, but those nutters back there who you've claimed were your family. But to me, magic is magic. You either have it or you don't. Just because there is a long line of witches and wizards in a particular family doesn't always guarantee that their children will have magic. And it's not like Muggle-borns just suddenly became magical. I'm sure somewhere on the Tonks family tree there was a witch or wizard, but it got diluted through the generations until genetically, by random happenstance, I had inherited it. Like getting blond hair even though neither of my parents are blondes. Woops! Don't tell my mum I told you she's not a natural blonde, she'd murder me." He said leaning in conspiratorially, as though this was a huge secret. She smiled. She loved the way he could always make her smile or laugh, even when she was so desperately depressed.

"Teddy," she said sympathetically. It came down to more than just genetics, to random happenings. Her Healer training had taught her about dominant and recessive genes and how this applied to magic in families. But she didn't spoil his triumph in having successfully making her smile, making her forget her sorrow for even just a fraction of a second.

"Go to sleep, love," he said. "You've got Healer training in the morning, and I'm insisting on taking you in the car. No more of this Apparating and vomiting nonsense. Let's keep the morning sickness to a minimum shall we?"

"Fine by me," she said, kissing his nose and settling close into his body, tears still wet on her cheeks. He wrapped protective arms around her and she finally, perhaps under the weight of having been crying for hours, was able to sleep.

Andromeda Tonks woke the next morning to what felt like another world, or perhaps something akin to the day after a national disaster. The world was still spinning, the sun rose once more, and she was alive, yet nothing felt real, nothing felt normal, like there was something that was irrevocably altered in her life. All she felt was sorrow, a deep, aching, longing in her heart and in her gut. And nausea. Waves of nausea. She quickly leaped out of bed and into the bathroom, making it just in time to spew into the toilet. Well, that part of her life was still the same. Unfortunately.

"Dromeda?" Ted said groggily, his voice hoarse with having been woken up so suddenly, knocking on the bathroom door.

"Just a minute!" she called back. She didn't like him seeing her sick like this, hated the look of worry he gave her when she vomited.

"I think we still have some crackers around here, do you want any? Settle your stomach a little?"

"I'm alright, it will just come back up anyway. Go back to bed, sweetheart, I'm alright." She said closing her eyes to rid herself of the second wave of nausea. She would be glad to when she would move further into her pregnancy, was even looking forward to the days of swollen ankles, and back pain, and stretch marks. At least she would be rid of the constant nausea.

Her stomach finally reaching a truce with her rapidly fluctuating hormones, Andromeda took a shower. The warm water felt good on her skin, cleansing her not only from her daily bout of morning sickness, but releasing some of her guilt, washing away the feelings of being impure or tainted. Washing her body with soap, she noticed the small bump so innocent looking yesterday seemed to have grown twice in size. It was as though her body had known to hide the pregnancy as best it could before she told her parents about Ted, and now that it was over, it was free to grow and expand without repercussion. She thought she might have been imaging it, but even putting on her ill-fitting green Healer robes, she could see it.

"Teddy," she said, poking him awake, as he had fallen back to sleep after the sounds of her being sick had ceased, "Teddy, look at this."

"Hmm?" Ted said, still not opening his eyes. He was not morning person, and hated the fact that she was.

"Edward!" She said more sharply, the use of his Christian name making him open his eyes and finally look at her.

"What am I suppose to be looking at?" he said, yawning and scratching his head.

"Look," she said, opening up her robes to show him how much she had grown in the night. He looked confusedly at her, his mind still absorbed in sleep not comprehending what he was supposed to be looking at. But she turned to the side to show him and it was then he really saw it.

"Woah, when the hell did that happen?" he said a look of wonder on his face. "Drom, I hate to tell you this, but I think you're in the pudding club."

"Sod off, Ted," she said grinning, "you know very well how I gained my membership."

"It's all becoming rather real now, isn't it?" he said, still examining her stomach with amazement.

"You saw it yesterday, it was not nearly this big."

"No, it really wasn't. Before it just looked like you were bloated-" she hit him playfully in the arm- "but this… this is a baby." He put a hand to her stomach, feeling the curve of the swell so altered from last night. "This is our baby." He said smiling, looking up into her eyes. "This is our family."