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Andromeda looked up from her book as the front door opened with a sweeping push and a purple-haired whirlwind ran towards her. She quickly placed the novel on the coffee table as she awaited the inevitable impact of his sharp, bony knees against her thigh. It would not be the first bruise.
‘Look, I made this for you!’ Teddy squealed as he jumped onto the couch and knelt beside her, his knees digging into her thigh. She grimaced because he had hit that one sensitive spot again but quickly pulled herself together when her eyes fell on the dirty trainers he was still wearing.
He pressed a crumpled paper to her chest. The excited expression on his face and his big blue eyes melted her immediately, so she decided not to reprimand him for not taking off his shoes at the door. She was sure he knew by now that morphing his eyes a little bigger and making them just as sky blue as Cissy's made her soft. She just couldn't help it. She was his grandmother, after all, a little indulgence was allowed.
Moments later, Hermione hurried into the house with a smile on her lips and red cheeks. ‘Sorry, dearest. I couldn’t stop him. He’s gotten so fast! Next time I’ll bring a broom when I pick him up from kindergarten!’ she said in a cheerful tone, leaning against the wall to catch her breath. Andromeda gave her an affectionate look and mouthed a thank you.
Meanwhile, Teddy looked over his shoulder at his shoes and at the carpet, where there were unmistakable shoe prints. When he looked back at Andromeda, he frowned, and his eyes got a little bigger.
Andromeda ran her fingers through his hair and along his cheek and gave both of them a mellow smile as she waved her hand. ‘Nothing a little charm can’t fix, my loves.’ When the stains had disappeared, she focused on Teddy again. ‘What did you make me, my heart?’
He removed his hand from her chest, and the paper fell onto her lap. She looked at it with pursed lips. He had drawn people, that much was certain, and it could be Hermione, him and her, but she was never too sure, as he lacked the more refined sketching skills. Like all his drawings, it was messy, colourful and decorated with glitter, and she loved him dearly for showering her with his art.
‘Can you tell me what you drew, my heart?’ She always asked him to make sure she fully understood his drawings and often wrote the meaning on the back of the paper if he ever asked her about it.
‘Nanaaaa, it’s us,’ he lamented, rolling his eyes in a manner Andromeda was sure he had copied from her. She had to stifle a laugh and saw that Hermione was also pressing her lips tightly together.
He sat down on her lap and leaned against her. ‘It’s for Mother’s Day, Nana! Miss Hetford told us it’s to appreciate our mummies, and since my mummy isn’t here, I made it for you!’
Andromeda swallowed hard, put her arm around him and stared at the carpet to collect herself. 'Mother's Day,' she whispered. It took her only two deep breaths to regain her composure. She kissed the top of his head. 'Thank you, Teddy, it's beautiful! Why don't we hang it on the wall, huh?'
He nodded and gave her a toothy grin. 'You can do that! I'm going to play now!' he said in an excited voice and jumped up from the couch.
Andromeda looked after him and laughed before her eyes fell on Hermione, who gave him a stern look.
'Shoes off!' Hermione called after him, but he had already turned the corner and trudged up the stairs in a practised manner.
‘He's about as cute as he is cheeky.’ stated Hermione with a big smile on her lips. The younger witch sat down next to Andromeda, took her hand and kissed her gently. After a moment of enjoying each other’s closeness, she took the drawing from Andromeda’s hand.
‘Where do you want it? I’ll hang it up for you.’
Andromeda looked around the living room, which was already decorated with many of his drawings. She pointed to the far right corner, where the white wall was still relatively empty. 'How about there?'
Hermione nodded, cast a sticking on its back and levitated it. They watched as it fluttered towards the wall and then clung to it perfectly straight.
Andromeda looked at it and the other drawings and photographs with a wistful smile on her lips.
‘Are you okay, dearest?’ Hermione asked and kissed her knuckles.
‘Mmm, just lost in thought.’ She got up from the couch and held out her hand. ‘Come, I want to show you something.’
Upstairs, they took a quick look in Teddy's room to make sure he wasn't up to any nonsense, as he was suspiciously quiet. To their relief, he was sitting cross-legged on his bed playing with two dinosaurs. Without disturbing him, they went into the next room.
In their bedroom, Andromeda knelt in front of her side of the wardrobe and took out a small colourful box. She tapped it with her wand to restore it to its original size, then sat down and crossed her legs. Hermione sat down beside her and put her hand on her thigh.
'I never showed you the various gifts I received from Nymphadora.' Her voice sounded a little distant, and Hermione squeezed her thigh.
Carefully, she undid the knot of string tied around the box and lifted off the lid. Inside the box were various papers and objects.
Andromeda picked up the top papers and placed them in a pile in front of her before picking up the first item. It was a piece of clay with a tiny handprint on it which was painted green and pink.
'Ted had insisted on sending her to magic kindergarten. I wasn't so keen because we were marching fast towards war, and the shadow of my family was just always looming.'
She sighed heavily and tapped her temple to get rid of the horrible thought. She breathed in heavily, but a smile made it to her lips.
‘Of course, he convinced me, and it was probably one of the best decisions we had ever made. Nymphadora's teacher was a muggleborn, and she taught our little one so many great things about both worlds. The teacher introduced us to Mother's Day at that time. I had never heard of it, and Ted, of course, had forgotten all about it. Nymphadora made this print for me when she was barely four years old. And oh, how proud she was. Just look at her little hand.'
Andromeda ran her index finger over the tiny fingerprints. 'I can hardly believe she was once so small.'
Hermione took the piece of clay from her trembling hands, kissed her on the cheek and then leaned her head against her shoulder for comfort as she looked at it. 'It's great that you kept all this. What else did she make you?'
Andromeda rummaged around in the box and showed Hermione numerous drawings. Her drawings were as difficult to decipher as Teddy's, and yet Andromeda found them beautiful. Often, Nymphadora wrote "Mummy" or "Mother's Day" on them in illegible children's writing. Her eyes blurred as she stroked over the various pictures. She was about to put them back when she spotted a photo from an instant camera on the bottom of the box. Andromeda picked it up and stroked the beaming face of Nymphadora in front of the Colosseum. With a smile on her lips, she turned it over.
Happy Mother's Day! You know you're the best mum, right? I'm sorry I can't be with you today, but Rome is just too beautiful to say goodbye to now! Let Dad spoil you! I love you, and I'll see you soon! Your favourite daughter!
It felt like a punch in the gut, and she immediately dropped the picture while biting back the sob.
Hermione hugged her tightly, put her hand on the back of her head and pulled her closer. 'It's okay, shh, it’s okay!'
Andromeda wrapped her arms tightly around the young witch and pressed her forehead against her collarbone as she cried. It took her a moment to regain her composure. She lifted her head and looked Hermione in the eye while placing a kiss on her wrist. ‘Oh, Salazar’s snake that wasn’t my brightest idea to look at that.’ She managed a watery but genuine smile. ‘Then again, those are some wonderful memories to dwell on. They might be worth the tears!’
Tenderly, Hermione stroked Andromeda’s tear-stained cheeks. ‘They are worth it, dearest. Thank you for sharing them with me.'
More tears ran down Andromeda’s cheeks as she looked through the photos, drawings and small gifts, but she wasn't sure if it was because she missed her daughter or because it was so precious to have known her.
She turned to Hermione, who was stroking a photo of Nymphadora. Her eyes were watery as well. 'She was bloody great, Andie!'
Andromeda just nodded and wiped at her red eyes.
As they browsed through the rest of the keepsakes, they alternately cried and laughed, and when they had put everything back in the box, they looked into each other's eyes.
A cheeky grin formed on Andromeda's lips. ‘Tell me, my love, what did you buy your mum for Mother’s Day?’
Andromeda's tone had a teasing note, and Hermione immediately slapped her hand over her mouth!
'I totally forgot!' Her cheeks began to flare. 'Can we just invite her to dinner? She loves your cooking and your mead. Teddy can be her gift!'
Andromeda giggled and pulled her closer to kiss her before replying. 'Of course, my love. I won't even rat you out!'
Hermione playfully pinched Andromeda's side before climbing onto her lap, cupping her cheeks and kissing her deeply. 'What about you, dearest. What are you giving your mother-in-law?'
Andromeda smiled her brightest smile. 'Oh, Helen gets a subscription to Witch Weekly. She'll never admit it, but I know she loves that rag!'
Andromeda laughed and Hermione quickly joined in her laughter. Andromeda gazed at her and her heart fluttered at how enchanting the young woman was and how much better life was with her in it.
'I love you,' she whispered and kissed Hermione's hands.