true power is giving

*

On any other occasion, Ted skated around Andromeda carefully. Especially when she was in one of her moods. It was rare that he’d touch her without asking or very hesitantly seeing if he had permission in some manner. Sometimes it was a brush of his hand against her skin. Other times it was a look that asked instead of directly asking. This time - Andromeda had told him not to touch her - and he did so anyways. However, she didn’t pull away from him, she couldn’t with the state she was in. Andromeda only melted into her fiancé’s arms as she cried for her sister who would never come back. Her fear of hurting him was forgotten in her grief that was suddenly overflowing. 

Andromeda cried into Ted’s chest, her hands gripping tightly at her shirt. All of her life, she was afraid to show that she needed other people. She longed for control and she exerted it. However, in this moment she was completely powerless and lost in her need for her fiancé. Ted reminded her that it was just them there and it was exactly what she needed. He was exactly what she needed. Her previous rage at him being late was forgotten and replaced by something else entirely. She wet his shirt with her tears and everything that she’d ignored for weeks now was suddenly making its appearance. 

“I don’t want to be alone,” Andromeda cried, the words mumbled into Ted’s chest. She didn’t want him to leave her alone. She didn’t want to be without her sister. Her grip on Ted tightening, Andromeda whispered, “Please don’t leave me.” Her vulnerability was so quiet that it was almost lost beneath the sound of her sobs. 

⌸

Edward didn’t have much care over what happened to clothes. She could ruin them with magic or cover them in make up and he wouldn’t be plussed. All his focus was on her. They had highs and lows over the years. Some due to Ted not knowing where the line he was supposed to stay behind and others due to Andromeda’s own control over her emotions. He couldn’t say he’d ever had a night like this before and he wasn’t sure what to do. 

He didn’t speak any more, letting Andromeda take as much time as she needed to feel. Perhaps he could put all his care and love for her into his actions and it would help her find the strength to lean on him when she needed to. He’d shoulder anything she asked. A hand on the back of her head and one holding her securely by the waist, he listened to her quiet sobs and swore he felt his own heart heavy with her sadness. 

“I’m not going anywhere. I promise.” Any work was long forgotten. He’d stay up with her as long as she requested, no other commitments coming anywhere close to her wellbeing. “I’m right here. I’ve got you, Dro.” He pulled her with him as he sat on their bed, placing her in his lap and tilting her face up to see. “It’s you and me. Just like always, love. Tell me what you need and I’ll make it happen.”

perhaps if she hadn’t had so much ( not that much, but it made a difference ) to drink, she might have been more formal. but she wasn’t. not in this situation. “Eddie!” she called out, an almost delighted tone to her voice. a wicked grin found her lips. “Not having to be near the Prophet this week has been a bloody delight,” she told him honestly. she so deplored the prophet, though it was specifically for certain individuals and not the general consensus of the thing. theseus accepted the hand that was offered her, twirling on the end of an impressively dressed man. and yet her attention was on ted. both alike in ( not dignity ), she was glad for a familiar face. “Alas, I’m actually celebrating a successful job,” she told time. time for a bending of the truth. “The Rigby case? Smashed it,” she told him. it wasn’t strictly a lie, either. she cast her gaze around the place. “Where’s your lady love? Will she be put out if I insist you dance with me?” she asked. she was sure she knew the answer already. no matter the reaction. “I’d be even more satisfied if she joined us,” she added. even neutral, even not entirely bothered by either side of the whatever – theseus knew how impressive andromeda was. in all her glory. she was a woman to have on your side. just as theseus was. whether you knew it or not.

⌸

Edward chuckled at the nickname, not enjoying the shortening of his name by anyone but Andromeda but still finding amusement in Thea’s joy. “I don’t know how you managed it. I’m starting to feel like I live there.” His whole week had been in and out of those offices, usually not even making it back to his own before he had to turn around and go back. “The Rigby case?” He asked, leaning in as he did so. “Let me buy you a drink. That’s fantastic!” His excitement for Thea was palpable. He knew how hard she had been working on that and he didn’t envy her for being assigned it. 

“Andromeda?” Edward asked, turning his head to see if he could spot her. “I was talking to someone for too long so she went off to find something more exciting.” And Ted knew he would be paying for it later when she pretended to be cross over it. Edward’s eyebrows raised at her question as he finally managed to spot his fiancée across the crowd. “I can’t say she’ll be pleased but you do deserve a celebration.” Putting his glass down after making sure Andromeda could see exactly who he was asking to dance, Edward held his hand out. “Just one or I might get sent home.” His grin was playful and he sent a wink Thea’s way. 

*

“No,” she repeated, the irritation clear on her face that she needed to repeat herself. There were parts of Ted that seemed so innocent and she wanted to keep them that way. She’d corrupted every other part of him. Made him into whom she wanted him to be. There were small parts of him that she wanted to keep the same, however. This was one of them. “I don’t like them. It’s just a bad habit,” Andromeda drawled after a brief second. She liked to believe that they aided in stress relief, but nothing seemed to help these days. The gala still needed planning, but the offer to go home with her fiancé was too good for her to simply pass up. “Yes, I think we’re finished for the day,” she stated softly. Merlin knew that they wouldn’t make any decisions without her. 

In the end, it was easy to distract Ted from the true reason that she’d been smoking in an alleyway. Since her sister’s death, she’d found that he was easily distracted when promised with intimacy. Andromeda would have been lying if she said she hadn’t used it to her advantage on many occasions. The brunette stepped in between Ted’s legs and pressed her body against his, effectively removing any space that was left between them. Returning his kiss, she deepened it slightly, only before pulling away with a coy smile. “I think you’ve mentioned it before, but I like to be reminded. If we go home now, we could just head straight to bed, mm?” 

⌸

Edward continued staring at his fiancée, thoughts long away from worry and more concerned about how quickly they could get home. When she sad she was done for the day, he beamed down at her and tucked some of her hair behind her ear. He found himself touching her hair on any occasion he was allowed, wanting to be able to see her face with full clarity. Part of the initial attraction to Andromeda had been her looks, Ted would never deny it, but the larger part had been her presence. He could easily get wrapped up in it, overwhelmed and immersed. 

*

On any other night, Andromeda would have accepted the tea and told Ted goodnight coolly, only changing her mind when he stood in the doorway of the guest room. She’d then distract him in the same way that she had for weeks now. Whenever things took a turn for the serious or he attempted to talk to her about her sister, Andromeda seduced him into not talking. So far, it seemed like he didn’t suspect a thing. If he did, he hadn’t said anything. Tonight was different. Tonight was the breakdown that she’d been putting off and ignoring for weeks. All of her emotions had hit her once like a freight train and her usual methods for distraction weren’t working as they usually did. 

Andromeda couldn’t remember the last time that she’d used her magic on accident. Perhaps when she’d been a child and unable to control herself. She thrived on having control and exerting it upon others. The fact that she was losing it - only made her feel worse. Her hands shook at her sides while Ted fixed the mess that she’d made and Andromeda wordlessly let him lead her towards their bed. She didn’t speak until he reached out for her. “Don’t,” she pleaded lowly, the fragility in her voice a far cry from the coolness she usually went with. “I don’t want to hurt you. I can’t control it.”

She took a deep breath, in attempt to clear her emotions, to control and ignore them. However, it was a fruitless attempt and Andromeda only broke down further, tears - of sadness and rage - beginning to spill onto her cheeks. The more emotional she became, the more angry she became in the same beat. She didn’t want to feel the things that she’d been ignoring. She didn’t want to be vulnerable. Andromeda put her face into her hands and sobbed quietly. “It isn’t fair,” she cried. 

⌸

Forgetting their rules and patterns, Ted stood up and pulled Andromeda into his arms. He usually waited for her permission to touch her. A non-verbal cue that she was okay with physical contact or a cheeky brush of his hands to test the waters. “You’re not going to hurt me and if you do, we’ll deal with it. Let’s focus on you now, yeah? Just for a bit.” He murmured, dropping soft kisses onto the top of her head between sentences. He was shell-shocked. Taken aback by the spill of emotions coming from his fiancée. Yes, he had been expecting a sudden fall out but not like this. Somehow, Andromeda’s rage was more familiar. 

Rubbing her back, Ted held onto her tighter as if he could take some of her grief and sorrow from her. “I don’t think it’s meant to be, love. And you’re allowed to acknowledge that. Nothing about this is fair or right and you don’t have to keep pretending it is. It’s just you and me here. No one else.” It was a point he had been trying to get her to see for years. She didn’t have to hide her feelings away at home. She had gotten better at that slowly, letting him see her love and devotion. Sometimes even hope and joy. It was the ones she considered weaknesses that they were still working on.

He mulled over a sentence in his head for a moment. Hesitating before coming right out with it. “You’ve lost someone special. That’s not something anyone should go through on their own. Even you, Andromeda. I’m not letting you do this alone.”

-

Regulus smiled as he recognised Ted and nodded. “1972…” he repeated, mentally going over the layout of the archives, and counting how many rows away they were. “Yeah that happens. I used to get lost all the time when I started working here. Not so much now - there is a system, albeit a haphazard one.” he said with a light laugh. He still occasionally had to consult his own handwritten notes and crudely drawn outline from time to time. “It’s this way though.” he added with a nod of his head, motioning for Ted to follow him as he began walking down the aisle. “How have you been Ted?”

⌸

“Uh, ‘22.” Ted voiced, feeling a bit sheepish over correcting Regulus but the date was a rather important factor. He turned to look around the room, trying in vain to figure out how a system would even work in this place. By the time he turned his attention back to the other man, Regulus was halfway down to another aisle. Ted jogged a little, determined to not get left behind in this maze. “I’ve been great.” Now that wasn’t true but it had been his automatic response. Not wanting to trouble anyone with his problems was the way Edward navigated the world. “Great may have been a bit of a stretch. Sorry about that. Just a habit. I, uh.” Surely Regulus understood to some degree how strange life was now that Bellatrix had passed. “I don’t exactly know if I have an answer to that at the moment. It’s been a strange few weeks. I can’t say I’ve gone through something like this before. How are you doing?”

___

For the most part, Nellie didn’t have to wait when it came to meetings with people within the Ministry. They answered to Rodolphus first, but she was the second in command and more often than not the person they ended up dealing with. For that reason, she planned her day down to the minute most of the time, and tended to be treated like someone that wasn’t to have their time wasted. However, today was an off day, and the last minute request from Rodolphus had made it impossible for her to properly schedule the meeting. Instead, she popped down when she had a free moment and just shy of demanded that someone meet with her. Nellie didn’t enjoy that particular power move, but every once in a while, she had to pull those strings. 

Seeing Ted coming out of the office, she gave him a professional, but warmer smile than how she was feeling. Out of all the members of the Death Eaters, Ted was inarguably one of her favorites. There was a softness to him that nearly everyone else lacked, and sometimes she wondered how a nice kid like him got caught up in this war. Then, of course, she was reminded of the fact that he chose to be here and it brought her back to the feeling of resentment. Underneath all that perceived kindness was damning ideals, and Nellie couldn’t overlook that. 

Still, she gave him a kind smile as she answered, “Actually there is. I need to speak with someone about a potential addition to the paper. I know it’s relatively late in the game, but my request is coming from the top.” Underneath her kind face was a sense of steel in her eyes, because Nellie was nothing if not good at her job. Nodding, she gave a small wave of her hand, “Thankfully it hasn’t been too terribly long, and I get it. People are stretched all over at the minute, so I don’t mind having to be patient,” she reassured, though she knew Rodolphus would if she was gone from the office for too long. “If you have a second I’d love to get this sorted out,” Nellie said.

⌸

A calmer grin graced Edward’s face at the sight of Nellie. He was glad to not be dealing with someone kind after a long day of running everywhere. Someone with a good head on their shoulders. He took his coat off as well, asking “Can I get you anything? Cup of tea?” Gwenog had said to be careful with who he trusted. She couldn’t have been referring to Nellie. The witch was one of the reasons there was still stability in the building. 

“It’s no trouble at all.” Ted made his way to his desk, taking a seat in his chair for the first time since the morning. Still, he was chipper and bright-eyed. He just didn’t believe the prophet staff would be as happy to see him again. Perhaps bring some pastries with him this time would give him a warmer welcome. “We still have a few hours before they release the evening addition.” He pulled the latest proof of the paper out of his bag, riffling through the papers to make sure they were in the correct order after the latest round of edits. “Do you have a place in mind yet or is that still up in the air? The front page is a bit crowded as is and there was something I wanted you to see.” 

Finding the correct page, the political commentary section or what used to be known as the political commentary section, took a moment. It truly felt like the whole paper was political commentary at the moment. He pushed it across the desk towards her. “This cartoon, while well drawn, doesn’t paint the Minister in the best light.” Ted had chucked when he had first seen the cartoon depicting Rodolphus doing something very naughty to the ministry but he knew this could easily be more than just a laughing matter. “There’s some talk of comedic freedom.” A phrase he had never heard before today. 

*

After the news of her sister’s death, Andromeda had kept a strong front. She was involved in the planning of the funeral and she helped to sort through Bellatrix’s stuff. She kept herself busy so that she didn’t have to face the inevitable. Her sister, her best friend, the person who knew her best - was never coming back. They had plans to follow through with. Andromeda, quite honestly, wasn’t sure what to do now that the other half of those plans wasn’t there to put them into action. Andromeda kept a strong front, but she was cracking slowly. She was a ticking time bomb. All bombs would detonate eventually. 

The brunette traipsed to their room without waiting for her fiancé to stop her. She knew that he wouldn’t. He knew better than to face her wrath when she was angry. Ted had worked late before. He’d come home late and she’d never recalled being this angry before. She wasn’t angry at him, but he was the easiest target. Andromeda slammed the door to their bedroom behind her and pinched the bridge of her nose when one of the pillows upon the bed exploded. Feathers flew everywhere and she knew it was accidental magic. She wasn’t an emotional person. She always kept her emotions in tact. A cool façade that hid all of her weaknesses. 

Tears - of sadness and anger - in her eyes, she hesitated when Ted finally knocked on the door. Raising her wand, Andromeda attempted to fix the pillow, but it ended in another one exploding. After a long moment, she finally opened the door, an unreadable expression upon her face. Once another moment passed, Andromeda offered Ted her wand, afraid of what else she could do when she wasn’t in control. “Please make it stop,” she whispered lowly. 

⌸

Edward expected to hear silence while he waited on the other side of their bedroom door. He expected the period of wondering when she would open the door. She would stand there with a neutral expression and he’d be pinned to the spot by the intensity of her gaze. She’d take the tea. He’d get ready to turn in. Perhaps even make it to the door of the guest room before she let him sleep beside her instead. When Andromeda did open the door, Ted was baffled for a moment. This wasn’t their pattern or dance. He didn’t know the steps but he still thanked Merlin the time had finally come. The look of what he could only describe as anguish on her face. The fall out he had been anticipating for weeks. He knew one thing for certain. Those copies weren’t getting started tonight. Fighting the instinct to wrap her up in his arms immediately, he turned his focus to the wand in his face. 

Wordlessly, he pocketed her wand in exchange for his own. He directed the feathers back into their respective pillow, wondering how she had managed to keep the bedding on her side of the bed perfectly intact while his had spread all through the room. Edward set her tea on the dresser and put his wand away before turning to her. Their bedroom was back to normal even if the woman of his dreams was very much not. “Dro, it’s all fixed.” He said in a low tone, putting a hand on her back and slowly directing her towards their bed. He sat on the edge and held his arms open, letting her set the pace for any more physical contact. “Just a few feathers.” He searched for a wordless signal from her of what she needed but couldn’t find anything telling in her face. He reached for her hair instead, with the intention of brushing it out of her face, but found a stray feather instead and tossed it aside. “I’m here to listen to whatever you have to say. As long or as short as it is. Even if it’s nothing at all, I’m here.

*

“No.” It was all that she said in response. She wasn’t supposed to be smoking either. She’d told Ted that she’d kicked the habit a long time ago; tired of him looking at her with the continual look of concern. Truthfully, she hadn’t picked up a cigarette in a long time. The habit had only resurfaced lately since the death of her sister. Andromeda was skilled at many things. She was good at planning events. She had an eye for detail. She was good at charms. Usually, she was good at keeping her emotions in check and her stress as well. But since the death of her sister, Andromeda felt like a ticking time bomb. 

Her fiancé was the last person that deserved her mood swings, but he always seemed to be the closest. Taking one last drag of her cigarette, Andromeda tossed it to the ground and blew out the smoke slowly. Shaking her head, she replied, “It was fine. I just grew tired of the constant questioning. It seems that no one can make a simple decision anymore.” 

She finally met Ted’s gaze when he propositioned that he take the day off. Andromeda did her best to hide the hope in her eyes, but she knew that he’d see it. Sliding her hand into his, she took a step closer to him, closing any distance that had been left between them. “Paris?” She suggested, before lowering her voice, her lips at his ear. “Or we could spend the entire day in bed.” 

⌸

“No?” He questioned, fighting to keep a frown from his expression and continue the lighthearted mood. “I want to know why you like them.” Besides their addictive qualities, there had to be a reason. He had tried almost everything Andromeda enjoyed in their decade of sharing their lives together. Why should cigarettes be any different? Ted hummed at her worlds, his gaze following her cigarette’s journey to the ground. “That’s why they need you around.” He was never sure what she got out of planning events except for social prestige. “Come home with me. You don’t need to go back in.”

She took his hands before he could wrap them around her. Although Ted was glad for the physical contact, a need whenever he was near Andromeda, he couldn’t shake the instinct to wrap his arms around her and shield her from the world.  He urged her closer, widening his stance so she could stand between his legs. Ted was glad he was resting against the wall and her affection for heels. It didn’t require him to lean down to meet her. An intrigued smile and a raised eyebrow was the only response he gave his fiancée before kissing her. Despite their lack of alone time, their intimacy had increased and that was something Ted really didn’t mind. He forgot his worries over her wellbeing in an instant were successfully temporarily distracted. “Have I told you that you have the best ideas, love?”

.

For all that Gwenog was trust him now, she felt a little disillusioned that Edward was as jumpy as he was.  She’d hoped for someone with a stronger constitution.  But then if wishes were horses, so on and so forth. “Oh Edward,” she said and laughed softly under her breath at his worry. “Lestrange is still licking his wounds from losing Moody and Shaklebolt, and you know well enough everyone is here to get their own.”  She smirked.  "Grow a bit of a backbone.  Anyway,“ she went on.  "Everyone’s rightly terrified of me as it is.”

She barely contained rolling her eyes at him daring to say “if” but she let it pass and nodded shortly.  "Yes, he is. But he isn’t a god, he isn’t an emperor, he’s a politician like the rest of us.  Like me.  I’m not going to bow and scrape for his favor.“  Gwenog was confident enough that her work spoke for itself anyway.  And if Rodolphus wanted to keep the foreign powers in check, he needed her.  "I know that,” she said, her voice dropping into a more icy tone. “But until I can figure out who to blame, I’m not sure what more we can do.”  She sighed a moment later, deflating a little.  "I will of course, tell Andromeda of my suspicions.  I just happened to find you first.  I just want you to look into things.  Scour your department and your staff, for anything that is even remotely suspicious.  I’m doing the same for mine and I’ll keep moving until I find it.  Because I know it’s out there.“

⌸

Gwenog wasn’t someone Edward had ever been able to read. He had spent half his life surrounded by strong women and he still was unable to pinpoint what that laugh she had done meant. He had heard it before. It never felt good. What had he done that was funny or worth being mocked over? At least he knew enough to know for sure what her comment meant. “I’ve heard that one before.” He murmured, frustrated at the way no clear path to keeping Andromeda safe had presented itself. Gwenog was supposed to have answers if she came to him with problems.

“I never said he was.” Ted stated, his fingers tapping against his desk unconsciously. “I just don’t wish to live with a target on my back if I can avoid it. She’s been so...” He trailed off. Andromeda’s current situation wasn’t something he should share without her express permission but Gwenog might understand what she was going through better than anymore. “I know you loved Bellatrix and you still do. Andromeda needs someone to talk to and I don’t think I’m the right person for the job.” That fact was destroying him. His main job in life was to help her and support her but he couldn’t with this. Bellatrix was the first person he’d ever lost and they had never been especially close. He had considered her family but she had wall up that he had never been able to breach.

Finally receiving instructions, Edward nodded. “I can do that. I’ll look into the Prophet as well.” The paper had been a buzz lately but some people seemed to have been more frazzled than he would have expected. “I’m serious about dinner next week. A business free one.” If that was even a thing they could manage. “I think we all need a home cooked meal and a bottle of good wine at the moment.”

*

If she was completely honest, Andromeda could have done without the midnight snack. All she really wanted was to go to bed with Ted in tow. She slept better when he had his arms wrapped around her. Something she’d never admit to anyone else. It didn’t matter what she wanted, however - her temper always seemed to win out. She’d wait for him to grovel at her feet to make up for the late nights at the office. Buy her a new dress or something equally as lavish. It was only fair. 

The brunette witch pursed her lips at his choice, but didn’t argue. It was something that felt nostalgic. Something simple in which they didn’t have to involve the house elves. They were the last things that Andromeda wanted to deal with when she was in a mood. Andromeda plucked one of the biscuits from the tin and nibbled on the corner as she watched Ted from the other side of the kitchen. Ever since they’d been in school together, watching him had been one of her favorite things. She’d picked up upon many of his quirks, his habits, his cues. She considered herself an expert by now. Judging by the way he was fidgeting, she’d bet he was about to tell her bad news.

Andromeda sighed in annoyance when he told her that he’d need to work upon revisions. He’d already been kept late at work. Now, he was bringing it home with him. Her attitude had been colder than usual lately and truthfully, it wasn’t Ted that was bothering her. Okay, his work and staying late did bother her a little bit, but never this much. Usually, she was much more understanding. Since Bellatrix’s death, her fuse had grown shorter. It was what was truly bothering her. However, that didn’t stop her from acting out now. Andromeda slammed the biscuit that had been in her hand onto the countertop, before murmuring coolly, “You can sleep in the guest room.” It was all she said before walking out of the kitchen. 

⌸

Edward stopped fixing her cup of tea, putting down the milk and sugar, and placed his hands on the counter. He shouldn’t have brought it up so soon or, really, at all. He had thought mentioning it earlier rather than later would have made it less of an issue, that they could still enjoy some time together, but he should have known tonight was not the night to bring home work with him. No night was but he knew she was stretched thinner than normal. Working hard at bottling up every emotion she could. Sighing, Ted started cleaning up the kitchen. He put away the milk, sugar, and tea. Spelled the pot back to its cabinet. He ate the remaining majority of her biscuit, stalling for time to go after her and face her temper. 

Once the kitchen was tided and he’d eaten a second and third biscuit, Ted knew his clock had run out. It wasn’t nearly enough time for her to cool off. That was something he had to learn early on in their relationship. Andromeda craved her space. He liked to hash things out in the moment, work towards the root of the problem and make it better as quickly as possible. She needed time to decompress and analyze. It was a thing he’d never understand but he tried his best to respect it.

He made his way into the hallway and walked down towards their bedroom, her cup covered in a warming charm in his hand. Hesitating outside the door, he waited a few beats before knocking. “Dro, can I say goodnight?” He’d risk her temper for a last glance at her before she banished him to the guest room. After all, he deserved it after falling asleep on the guest chaise and making her worry about him all night. She was coping, he supposed. They both were. If this is how she needed to act to get through this period, he’d wait with her to come out the other side.

*

Since she was a child, Andromeda had learned to always keep her emotions to herself. If she was having a problem, it was best kept out of the public eye. Her parents brushed issues under the rug all of the time. She’d merely learned from the best. This was one of the reasons that she came off so cold to most. When Bellatrix died, her façade didn’t break. There was barely a crack. Underneath the surface was an entirely different story. She was missing her sister, her best friend, one of the only people that she trusted. It felt like a part of her was missing. The only person that she ever showed her true feelings in front of was Ted and she even kept that to a minimum.

When she noticed that it was her fiancé who had caught her, Andromeda’s expression softened, but only slightly. The change was minuscule. She’d told him that she stopped smoking a long time ago. Technically she did for a very short lived period. The brunette was quiet as she took another drag, no doubt that she’d have to put it out. When he asked for one, she rose an eyebrow in question. “No. You’ve never done it before, have you?” She asked, although it wasn’t much of a question. “Let’s keep it that way, darling.”

⌸

“Maybe it’s time for me to start.” Ted suggested, the hint of a joke in his tone. He looked over her with worry and concern, a hand already reaching out to take hold of her free one. He didn’t like her smoking. An age old worry over health he knew was ridiculous. They had spells now, potion regiments to combat any of the negative effects. But he could still hear his mother’s voice warning him of the danger of the habit. A nasty one, she had called it. Equating his father’s affection for his tobacco pipe with the lower class. 

He turned his body to hers, waiting for the moment when she would want comfort. He knew it would be coming eventually. Ted just hoped he wasn’t working when it did. “Not a good day?” He inquired, focusing on not letting any of his worry seep into his tone. The last thing needed was her thinking he was edging towards any sort of pity. “I’m thinking of taking tomorrow off. If you wanted me to. It’d be nice to have another day away from here. Just the two of us.” In an effort to stay casual, to not immediately inquire what was wrong, he had veered into babbling. “We can do whatever you want or we could do absolutely nothing at all.”

.

Gwenog wasn’t one to mince words, and she honestly cared very little if people knew she thought Bellatrix was murdered.  She saw no reason to be quiet about and had just about dared whoever had done it to come after her.  She was smart enough to trust virtually nobody, and capable of defending herself.  So was Bella, as a matter of fact, at least for the most part.  It was how she was sure it was someone close to her that had done it, and how she was carefully measuring the people around her.  Much like she was doing now.

“I am thinking about it in those terms.  And everyone else should too.  This wasn’t an accident.  I know it wasn’t.  Bellatrix was too smart for that.  This was a hit disguised as an accident.  I don’t know who or why yet, but I will find out.”  She let out a huff of breath and clenched her jaw.  "I know you would do anything for Andromeda and that’s why I’m trusting you with this.  I don’t trust that whoever did this is done, however, and that’s why we both have to work to keep Andromeda as safe as possible.“

Gwenog’s frown deepened.  "No, I haven’t spoken to anyone else yet.  I plan to.  Even if it’s just to see people squirm.  It’s amazing to me more people aren’t seeing how suspicious the whole thing is.  How willing people are to just take what they’ve been fed.”  She crossed her arms over her chest.  "Just be mindful, for now.  I wouldn’t bother trusting much of anyone.  Even those on the right side of history are out for themselves.  Me as much as any of them I suppose.  But you can trust that I loved Bellatrix more than I thought myself capable, and that Andromeda is in my charge now for love of her.“

⌸

They weren’t tip-toeing around the subject at all and Ted found himself wishing they were. This kind of talk, ideas of betrayal and planned attacks against people they both loved, wasn’t ever where he imagined he’d find himself in the world. He was fine with the idea of Gwenog being so bold or brazen but not him. His eyes were drawn to the door before he could make eye contact with Gwenog again. “We shouldn’t be discussing this here.” He said, knowing his opinion would made little difference or none at all. But he couldn’t begin to comprehend what she was going through. Edward didn’t know if he would be able to be as strong in the face of a loss like that. He wouldn’t risk finding out.

“If it wasn’t an accident.” Ted said, the volume of his voice barely above a whisper despite the spell cast on his office door. “Rodolphus is still the minister and he’s still leading us.” He didn’t expect anyone who disliked Rodolphus to keep their head down and that included Gwenog and Andromeda once she was informed. Even if keeping their head down could keep them safe. But if someone did want Bellatrix gone, or the power that she had gone, would they stop with just her? “She’s not going to be safe if we’re only mindful.” As much as Edward hoped that was all it took, it wasn’t realistic. “Dromeda won’t accept waiting without a plan. She’ll start looking into things on her own if you don’t include her. And if that puts her in danger, I. Well, we, can’t let that happen.” He would do much better with a task or list of concrete actions they could take as well. “I can try to keep her distracted but she’ll figure out what I’m doing sooner rather than later. I don’t hide things from her. Who do you need me to talk to?”  

location: an alleyway in diagon somewhere (idk)  date: 24 january  status: open

At this point in her life, Andromeda had planned enough galas and parties to last a lifetime. It was something that she enjoyed, but at some point the decisions became endless. Each more meaningless than the last. The money was important, as was the cause, but there were times when it became mindless. What color would the napkins be? What would the dress code be? Would there be an ice sculpture? There was only so much she could take before she wanted to snap at whomever was asking the questions. Only so much planning that she could do before she wanted to roll her eyes. Her fake smile only lasted so long. 

At this exact moment, it was gone - replaced by a cool expression that barely touched upon her annoyance. She had excused herself from the meeting before she lost her patience completely with the vendor. Since Bellatrix’s death, she found it much harder to control her temper when her patience wore thin. A cigarette between her lips, Andromeda took a drag and blew out the smoke. It was a terrible habit, but one that she could never quite get rid of when she was stressed. When she caught the gaze of someone passing by, she snapped, “Perhaps you should take a picture. It would last longer, mm?” 

⌸

Edward had taken his day off to volunteer as he usually did. The children he mentored were delightful but always high energy and he found himself craving a good cup of coffee at the end of his shift before returning home. They never stayed in the flat on the weekends, preferring to spend their days off in the country, but he wasn’t keen on returning to an empty house just yet. A caffeine fix first, he’d pick up a treat for ‘Dromeda and then he could return home to check on the plants and potions left brewing for the past week.

The flash of dark hair a few shops down ducking into an alleyway caught his attention. He’d had practice spotting those locks in a crowded room for many years. Grin building, Ted set off for the alley instead of the café. Coffee could wait. He knew she was planning some upcoming event but he thought her day would be booked solid. His talk with Gwenog was still on his mind and he hadn’t yet worked out just how to bring up the subject of Bellatrix with her.

It was only when he turned into the alley that for a moment his smile disappeared. She was smoking. A temporary setback. “I have quite a few pictures already. Some portraits too. There’s really nothing like the real thing.” Not even the picture in his wallet could measure up. Closing the distance between them, but not rushing up to crowd his fiancée, Ted leaned against the building’s outer way and waited for her to be ready to speak about whatever was troubling her. He liked to babble and fill the silence with others, patter on until they were comfortable, but that had never been Andromeda’s preferred way of speaking about something bothering her. She needed the quiet, he imagined, to think just how to put her words. “Do you have one of those for me?”

.

Gwenog was not the type of woman to answer a smile with a smile, even if propriety warranted it.  Smiles were earned, and she had saved most of her smiles for Bellatrix when she was still alive.  But after a moment of consideration, Gwen offered Edward a small answering smile, though it was tight on her face.  "Edward then,“ she said and pursed her lips, about to launch into an explanation when she was cut short by Edward going on.

"I’m not here for small talk,” she said dryly, the tentative smile falling from her face.  "You know me well enough to know I rarely have the time or the patience for it.  What I’m here for is to inquire how you’re planning on keeping Andromeda safe now that someone has succeeded in killing her sister.“  Gwenog could feel her voice getting sharper and stopped herself, taking a small breath. "But I will come over for dinner.  That sounds…acceptable.”

⌸

Edward’s eyebrows raised as the smile slipped from his face. With a flick, he cast muffliato at the door and slid across the desk to perch directly in front of Gwenog. “I didn’t believe we were looking at it in those terms.” He murmured, staring at the woman across from him in slight disbelief. “What happened was terrible but to say it was intentional...” Ted trailed off, looking to the charmed window of his office instead. He always kept it sunny, said it kept his mood in good spirits, but since Bellatrix’s passing there was a light rain that wouldn’t seem to leave the charmed glass. It seemed to be turning into less of a sun shower and more of a downpour at the moment. 

“You know I’d do anything to keep her safe.” He would. He’d give his life, his heart. Heck, he’d give his right arm if that’s what was needed. Ted hadn’t been able to shake the feeling of oddity at Bellatrix’s death but he didn’t investigate. He accepted the truth they had been told because that’s what it was, right? Truth. “Have you spoken to Frank about this? Or anyone else?” This meeting felt conspiratorial now. Wrong as if he was betraying an oath by even entertaining Gwenog’s suggestion. But if Andromeda was in danger, that came above duty and loyalty. In the end, she was the most important to him. “What do I need to do to make sure?” 

*

After a decade in their relationship, there was no one who knew Andromeda as well as Ted did. They’d spent so much time together that they both knew the others cues - verbal and nonverbal. She’d shaped Ted into the man that he was today. Truthfully, she didn’t know where he’d be if it wasn’t for her. Vice versa - his softness complimented her coldness perfectly. It also meant that he’d follow her to the end of the earth without so much as a question. She loved him for it. Did she use it to her advantage? At times. 

Andromeda left Ted pouting in the chaise, a smile on her lips as she walked away from him. It was just a game. Seeing if he’d chase after her. He did. He always did. She stopped in her tracks when he wrapped his arms around her; clear that he wasn’t going to let go. Hearing his old dialect in her ear, she could have melted right there. If she hadn’t previously been angry at him. Andromeda held her reserve, but leaned back into her future husband. 

“Mm, surprise me,” she murmured in return, her hands resting on his arms that were wrapped around her torso. It was another test, but she knew that he’d pass this one much like the others. 

⌸

With a press of a kiss against her cheek, Edward let Andromeda go and weaved around her to make his way into the kitchen. It was always a challenge when she wanted to be surprised. After a long day, he’d rather have her wrapped up in his arms than spend time making her a meal that wouldn’t match up to what she deserved. He found a tin of cookies from their last visit to his parent’s house instead. 

Leaving it out on the counter, he waved his wand and started on a pot of tea. He had never spent much time in the kitchen growing up and even less so once they moved in together after school but every wix worth their salt should be able to make a nice cup of tea in his opinion. You never knew when the skill would come in handy. Ted leaned against the counter and listened to the soft footsteps of his fiancée. Was this the night she finally spoke to him about what was bothering her? He doubted it. A warm drink and a snack from his childhood home was hardly a big enough gesture to make Andromeda comfortable. He’d continue waiting for her to be ready, watching carefully for the slight change in her facial features indicating she was.

Kettle whistling, he got to work finding her favorite cup from their set and making her drink. “I need to start on some revisions tonight.” He always had trouble delivering bad news but busying his hands while speaking tended to help.

.

Gwenog had been a minor terror around the office in the past few weeks, a virtual tornado of action, making the sweeping changes in the foreign affairs department that she’d been planning from day one. It was hard work, but it was intensely satisfying, and for the most part it distracted her from becoming overwhelmed with the feelings of loss and the giant hole in her life that Bellatrix had left behind.

It also made her even more desperate to hang on to the people she still had, and no one more than Andromeda.  The world was down one Black sister and the other was a traitor, making Andromeda the only one left.  And Gwenog refused to lose.

It was with that in mind that she visited Edward Tonks that afternoon, a steely expression on her face as she made her way into his office.  He was out, but she made herself at home, making a few notes for her plans for the next day while she waited for him to arrive.  She closed her notebook with a click when he entered the room. “Tonks,” she greeted with the smallest hint of a smile. “No matter about the wait, I was just hoping for a friendly chat with you about some shared goals.”

⌸

Edward’s grin widened at the sight of Gwenog despite the circumstances. He hadn’t seen here in quite some time. Not since the loss of Bellatrix had shaken the foundation of his family. Still, Ted took the promise of a friendly chat at face value and walked over to drop some files on his desk. “If it’s a friendly chat, you don’t have to use my last name.” ‘Dromeda and him hadn’t mentioned her sister in some time, pushing on as if everything was still manageable and achievable. Which, with her leading them, it was. He was waiting for her to be ready, to feel comfortable talking about grief with him. It was never his place to deliver bad news or bring up a tough subject and he didn’t know where to even begin with this subject. He hadn’t ever lost someone save grandparents and great aunts and uncles. But there was something poking him about this whole situation that he couldn’t put his finger on. Frank’s involvement. Ted chalked it up to his inexperience with death or siblings. Or his blind loyalty in his friend. If his fiancée didn’t see anything funny with the circumstances, if no one else did, he was probably wrong. 

“How’s you day been? I feel like I haven’t had a moment to sit in a month or so. Busy year so far.” He leaned against his desk, feeling like sitting down in his chair would make this whole arrangement far too formal. “You should come over for dinner soon. I know Andromeda would love to see you.” 

date: january twenty second

status: open

It was finally Friday. On a slow week, it would find Edward leaving the office around one or two in the afternoon. He might have had to field a few weekend owls, take a few at home floo calls, but he wouldn’t be working once the sun went down. 

This week and this year had been anything but slow. He’d been sent on errand after errand, taken what felt like fifteen trips to the Prophet offices, and still had a smile on his face. His first drafts on Order of the Phoenix warning sign pamphlets still weren’t submitted. The memos of changes had been zipping in and out all day and if he was a different man, Ted would have screamed at an intern by now for his lack of coffee.

He was finally back at the Ministry, after another pop over to The Prophet, and was opening the door to his department’s waiting room when he spotted someone sitting there. “Afternoon. Can I help you with anything?” Ted unwinded his scarf and placed it on the coat rack by the door. “I’m sorry if you’ve been waiting for long. Our staff is a bit stretched thin at the moment but we’re happy to help with whatever you need.”