Quaint. Andromeda could practically hear the manner in which anyone in her family’s circle would describe the small home she was now standing in front of; their tones would be dripping with vague disdain like honey, poorly obscured by the sugary-sweet of polite niceties. Her sisters barely enjoyed setting foot in her own simple flat - each time Narcissa crossed her threshold, Andromeda could practically see her brain whirring with what sorts of drapery fabrics would better suit her living room than the plain white ones that hung at her windows. It was partially why she avoided visitors in her home, quite honestly. To her, her little space was something she was proud of, rented with her own money and filled with things she sincerely liked. Despite having only been standing beyond Ted Tonk’s front door for a full minute, she could see similar heart was poured into his place. Of course, it already put hers to shame. The Ted she’d once known had always been rather handy. Idly, Andromeda wondered just how much of what she saw had been constructed with his own hands.

Her brain promptly reminded her that she was meant to be walking to the front door, rather than standing out front and ogling his cottage like a madwoman. She had initially planned to owl Ted first, to warn him that she might stop by, because as much as Andromeda strayed from her upbringing proper house-calling manners had still been drilled into her for decades. It was rude to show up unannounced. Then again, Ted had done the same to her, hadn’t he? The situation was very different - he’d had a bleeding infant, after all - but it sort of amused her to think that she could even the playing field. Perhaps their friendship didn’t quite exist anymore, and maybe this would be more awkward than anything else, but once upon a time getting him back in the most good-natured of ways would have been amusing. And, of course, she was fairly certain she’d lose her nerve if she didn’t just do it. 

Taking a moment to compartmentalize her current worries - friction with her sisters, the amount of paperwork waiting for her at home - Andromeda nearly missed the sight of Ted’s blonde head bent over an array of bulbs and other greenery on the left side of the house. She stopped in her tracks, actually feeling a pang of guilt; it was silly of her to imagine that he wouldn’t be busy on a Saturday afternoon, and here she was interrupting him. 

She nearly changed her mind. Ted hadn’t seen her. It wouldn’t be difficult to apparate back home, none the wiser, and come again another time or owl first like a respectable acquaintances would. But taking in a deep breath to make her more brave, she let the wave of fondness for Ted triggered by him gardening by hand override her sudden insecurities and veered off her current path to approach him. “Ted?” Her tone was cautious, not wanting to make him jump. “Hi. I was...well, I...am here rudely interrupting you unannounced, which would give nearly everyone I know heart palpitations. Sorry about that. I don’t mind coming back another time.” Remembering the item clutched in her other hand, the weight of which had been forgotten in the midst of her inner turnmoil, she rather lamely held up the six-pack of English ale she’d brought along as some sort of peace offering. “But I come bearing a cold one, at any rate. And a helping hand if you’ll have it.”