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-1-
Nymphadora pressed her baby close to her chest and ran a finger over his soft, rosy cheek. She rocked him, hugged him, kissed and spoke soothing words of comfort into his ear.
Andromeda kept her distance, trying to burn this image of her daughter and grandson into her memory. The last calm moment before a raging storm.
Nymphadora met her eyes, tears were glistening in them. 'I have to go.'
The four words reverberated in Andromeda's mind and to her, they were the three worst words ever spoken.
'I know,' Andromeda said, voice hushed. They'd argued just hours before, and in the end, she had rested her case. She'd not let her daughter leave with anger in her heart.
She hugged her tightly, her grandson pressed in between them.
'When you meet family…' She paused and took a breath that was a bit harder to take than she'd anticipated. 'Do not hesitate for my sake! They won't hold back either!'
Andromeda squeezed her waist tighter. 'I love you so much. Please be careful!'
Nymphadora stepped back a little and nodded ever so slightly. 'I'll be careful, I promise you!' She kissed Teddy on the head and rocked him a bit longer before she carefully laid him in Andromeda's arms and held them both for a moment.
'Take care of him, yes?'
'I promise you.' Andromeda's heart contracted. The sheer thought of losing her made her nauseous.
Nymphadora kissed her son's and then her mother's cheek.
Andromeda reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her stride towards the fireplace. Nymphadora turned around and smiled sadly. 'I'll be back!'
After a breath, Andromeda let her go.
For a moment, she stared at the fireplace and then turned to her grandson. 'Just you and me now,' she whispered into her grandson's colourful tuft of very fine hair, suppressing the tears. Together they paced the kitchen while the tension in her chest slowly built.
Afraid, she was so very afraid and restless and hurting. Her grandson needed her full attention as he missed Nymphadora as much as she did. Thankfully, each time he cried, he interrupted her spiralling for a few minutes.
Long past midnight, she sat down on the sofa and drew a blanket across herself and Teddy. She closed her eyes and stemmed the tears. She felt like a fool, sitting inside their heavily warded home while her child was fighting for her life.
With disgust, she looked at her trembling hand, the very hand that had held Nymphadora and then hadn't managed to keep her home. With a groan, she slammed it into the cushion and sobbed. Then she sat there and stared into nothingness while she waited.
Nymphadora had promised to inform her as soon as it was over. Minutes turned into hours and the uneasiness was eating away at her. She clung to the thought that her Patronus had not yet come because she was simply too exhausted, too traumatised to cast it.
It was light outside when a shimmering blue patronus materialised in her living room. Her pulse increased and hope fluttered in her chest, but then the smooth baritone voice of Kingsley cut through the silence and her throat closed up.
'Andromeda, the war is won. Please come to Hogwarts immediately. The apparition ban has been lifted.'
Horror rose in her chest as she scrambled to her feet. She pressed Teddy against her chest, closed her eyes, imagined the Hogwarts courtyard and apparated. When she opened her eyes again, her hand flew to her mouth.
The bridge had burnt down, there were boulders in front of the castle, parts of the rock wall were missing and the stone guards lay shattered and scattered across the courtyard. Children were sitting on the floor, dirty, with torn robes, their faces tear-stained. It hurt her heart but she tried not to get distracted by it because she had to find her daughter.
After her initial shock, her eyes fell on her former transfiguration professor.
She hurried towards her and almost stumbled across her own feet. With a stealthy grip around her biceps, Minerva pulled her towards her and held her steady.
'Andromeda,' she whispered and laced her other hand around her wrist.
'Is she…' Andromeda clenched her jaw and looked at the floor, unable to form the rest of the sentence.
Minerva drew her closer to her body and bent her head. After a shuddering breath, she managed in a low voice, 'I'm so sorry, Andromeda.'
The professor drew her into a short but tight hug, but Andromeda didn't feel anything anymore. She wasn't even sure if she was really there or still sitting at home.
'Would you like to see her?' the witch whispered.
Andromeda was unable to react, and her gaze clouded over. Minerva brushed her hand over her arm and Andromeda eventually managed to nod. The professor wrapped her arm around Andromeda's waist and didn't let go of her biceps.
Andromeda was glad for her support as her legs weren't carrying her anymore. They walked through corridors marked with soot, cracks and blood before reaching the Great Hall.
It smelled of iron, sweat and something Andromeda couldn't quite place. It could be death for all she knew.
A shiver ran down her spine, which left her body covered in goosebumps and trembling. She pressed the newborn closer to her heart and tried to calm herself. After two more breaths, she trusted her feet enough to walk towards the groups of grieving people. Mentally, she had tried to prepare for this moment ever since Shaklebolt's patronus had arrived.
But then she spotted Nymphadora and she knew nothing could ever have prepared her for this kind of anguish. Her ever-moving, ever-changing, colourful daughter lay pale and motionless on the cold stone floor.
Her knees gave way before her mind had caught up. Minerva managed to snatch the baby from her arms before she crashed to the floor next to her girl. She didn't even register the sting in her knees. All she felt was the all-consuming emptiness.
She had let Nymphadora go and now she would never see her smile again.
With a trembling hand, she touched her soft cheek and winced when she felt no warmth. Gently, she stroked over her delicate features, which right now, were so much like her own. With her palm, she healed the cuts and bruises on her face and then cupped her face with both her hands and kissed her cheek before she pressed her forehead against Nymphadora's.
'You're safe now,' she said quietly, her voice was shaking, thick with unshed tears and she had to pause so as not to suffocate. 'No one's ever going to hurt you again, my angel. You're safe now.'
For a moment longer, she kept her forehead pressed against Nymphadora's and then she sat down and looked at her. How could she just be gone when hours earlier she had been so full of life, so vibrant? Her throat constricted and she hugged her knees.
It was her grandson's whine that snapped her back into reality. When she looked up, she saw him cradled in Harry Potter's arms, Minerva standing next to him with a sad expression on her face.
Somehow Andromeda managed to heave her exhausted body up from the ground. She swayed slightly, and for a moment, her eyes went black. Fortunately, the Potter boy was standing close enough and she leaned against his surprisingly sturdy body. He hugged her grandson and kissed his hair before placing him in her arms.
She hugged the baby to her, wrapped her thin scarf around him so he wouldn't have to see the devastation and then looked at Harry. The dirt, the tiredness and the tears made his green eyes shine. He looked sad, uncertain, but there was also the glimmer of hope in his eyes and she thought that it was the same glimmer she was clawing at, too. It was the hope that despite the pain, everything would turn for the better now.
They stood like that for a while, the Potter boy not seeming to mind that he was the one holding her upright, their gaze lingering on Nymphadora.
The young man cleared his throat and met her eyes, pain written all over his young face. 'My condolences,' he whispered and tentatively grabbed her wrist.
'Thank you, Mr Potter,' she said in a quiet voice. After a moment of silence, she was able to say more. 'Why don't you come visit us in a few days?' she suggested with a certainty that surprised herself. She was not keen on visitors and would have preferred to grieve alone, but life had to go on, if not for her sake, then at least for Teddy's, who, it seemed, had already won some people over. Despite the despair that surrounded them both, her heart warmed briefly. Teddy was barely two months old and already experienced so much love.
The young wizard nodded and his face lit up ever so slightly. 'Thank you, Mrs Tonks.'
'Just Andromeda,' she whispered as a fresh wave of grief washed over her. She wished she would never have to use that surname again, but the alternative was just as painful.
'I've to tend to some students,' Minerva said as she stroked her hand over Andromeda's forearm.
Andromeda nodded and gave her hands a squeeze. 'Thank you, Minerva.'
Moments later, Harry excused himself to go back to the Weasley's. She watched him retreat and saw how Molly drew him into a tight embrace. Her gut turned when her eyes fell onto her son's red hair splayed over the stone floor. Hermione Granger met her eyes and shot her a sympathetic glance, but it did nothing to quell Andromeda's sorrow. She quickly looked down to the floor because she couldn't bear to see them supporting each other. Not when she was all alone. Alone except for the neatly swaddled baby boy in her arms. She pressed her grandson firmer against her chest.
Careful not to squash him, she sat down on the cold floor cross-legged. Her daughter's hair was mousy brown and soft when she ran her fingers through it. The pressure in her chest was unbearable and she wished she would wake up and everything had been a dream.
Andromeda sat there, absentmindedly stroking her cheeks until someone crouched down next to her. A frown crossed her features at being interrupted but then she looked at the person and realised it was a young auror. Andromeda knew the girl. She had been in Nymphadora's class ever since she had enlisted to become an auror. Maybe she had even been a classmate, but Andromeda didn't entirely trust her memory on that.
'My sincere condolences, Mrs Tonks,' the young woman spoke softly and lightly touched her arm.
'Thank you, Alisa,' Andromeda said as gently as she could while she tried to stem her tears.
The young auror looked at her with anxiousness written all over her face. Not in the mood for false restraint, Andromeda asked in a stern voice: 'What is it?'
'Kingsley sent me to, uhm, inform you that you…' She trailed off and squeezed her eyes shut before she continued. 'You'll receive reparations from the Lestrange vault,' she rushed out and bowed her head.
Andromeda gave the auror a puzzled look as she contemplated her words. 'Lestrange vault,' she whispered, and suddenly, painfully it dawned on her. She bit her fist to stop herself from crying out loud. 'No, no,' she said quietly as the tears she had tried to hold back rolled down her cheeks. Luckily, her emotions were still glazed over because she wasn't sure she could have taken that blow otherwise. She banished the knowledge to the very back of her mind. Everything else would've rendered her unable to ever get up from the floor again.
'I'm so sorry. We all loved her so much.' The auror's voice sounded tear strained but she didn't show many emotions.
If it weren't for the genuine concern in Alisa's voice, Andromeda would've laughed at how little the words meant to her.
The auror stayed crouched down next to her for several minutes in silent support.
Andromeda focused hard to breathe in and out steadily and was jolted out of her mourning when the auror placed her hand firmly on her shoulder.
'I'm so sorry, but I have to take her to the Ministry now. I'll come by in a few days for the next steps. I'm sorry, I wish I could give you more time, but we've orders.' The auror sounded terribly unsure of herself.
Andromeda closed her eyes, drew a shuddering breath and, not trusting herself to speak, simply nodded.
One last time, she stroked her daughter's cheek and pressed a kiss to her forehead. 'I love you so much,' she spoke in a strained voice and then she let go of her.
She watched how Alisa apparated them and once she was gone, the numbness in her chest was replaced by searing pain.
When she bowed her head, her eyes fell on the bloodstain on the stone floor. She screamed and, with a wave of her hand, shattered the stone slab into a thousand pieces.
The rest of the day, she spent in a trance, barely able to function. Only for Teddy did she stay conscious and sober.
-2-
The following day Andromeda lay in bed with her eyes squeezed shut because the rising sun was blinding her through the bedroom window.
It was going to be a sunny day, just as beautiful or even more beautiful than yesterday. How could the day be this bright when her life had just crumbled? Before she could dwell on the thought, she pushed it back into her mind. There was no time to think about yesterday because first, she had to make it to Bath. Who else was going to inform her in-laws? Andromeda found it hard to breathe and put her fingers to her temple to calm herself.
Her mind began to reel. They had separated the Tonks' fireplace from the floo in 1997. Anything else would have been irresponsible. Now, she regretted that decision because apparating was not an option. In her distraught state, the risk of splinching herself or, even worse, her grandson was far too great. The only option was the train because her husband mainly had used their car. Even the thought of using it made her dizzy, the memories too raw.
Tired, she ran her hands over her face and through her hair and then sat up. Her head felt heavier than she expected and she almost lay down again. With a dreamless sleep potion and calming draught preferably, to forget everything for a few hours. Or days.
In retrospect, it would probably have been wiser not to try to sleep at all and go directly to Bath as she had done nothing but think about Nymphadora anyway.
Tears threatened to overwhelm her again, but Teddy's soft coos streamed in from the room next door before she lost herself. Teddy, who was almost always a happy baby and did not yet know that everything had changed. Her heart grew heavy, but she forced herself out of bed. On trembling legs, she walked over to his cot, lifted him up and hugged him tightly. It felt good to have him close, to know that at least he was happy and safe.
Memories of her daughter's pale cheeks flooded her mind, but she managed to suppress the sob. Plagued by all the emotions that waited to be released, she carried him down to the kitchen and cradled him in her arms. She summoned his bottle, mixed warm water with formula, and started feeding him. She didn't eat, knowing she couldn't keep it down. A cup of green tea, however, she didn't forgo. Sipping it slowly, she savoured its slightly bitter taste on her tongue. Once Teddy was done, she changed him and put him down in his crib before going to the bathroom to fix her appearance.
Looking at herself, she almost burst out laughing. The shadows beneath her eyes were heavy and her hair wasn't as brown and shiny as it had been a few months ago and new wrinkles crossed her face. She almost didn't recognise herself.
For a moment, she contemplated casting a glamour but didn't. People would simply think she's tired from taking care of an infant. She sighed, washed her face and put on a pair of jeans and a thin jumper.
With well-rehearsed movements, she packed a bag for Teddy and shrunk it to fit into her small daypack. She put on the baby sling, carefully placed her grandson in it against her chest, donned her sunglasses and stepped out into the warm air of late spring.
Once outside, she took a deep breath of crisp air and enjoyed the sun that tingled pleasantly on her skin. If it weren't for the fresh pain in her heart, she would feel at ease. For the first time in a long time, she could leave the house without the imminent danger of coming across death eaters. She kept her wand close, nonetheless. One or two of them, she was sure she could best even with a baby to protect.
The early morning heat, her brisk pace, because she was already a little late and the warmth radiating from the baby made her sweat.
As always, the ticket machine turned on her. Just as the train pulled into the station, she was able to pick the ticket out of the small slot.
She grabbed the first available seat and freed Teddy from the sling and positioned him on her lap. It was pretty comfortable, and Andromeda let her head fall against the headrest. Soon the train picked up speed.
As she kept looking at the scenery, they passed several Muggle homes. She envied them. They were blissfully unaware of the tragedy that took place mere hours ago in the Highlands.
She quickly shut her eyes before she would cry. There were other people around and she couldn't break down in front of them. She looked down at Teddy to calm herself, but that didn't work.
The baby was sporting a bright head of turquoise hair. The withering glances from her fellow passengers did not escape her. She laughed and momentarily felt transported back in time to when Nymphadora was young. This had happened more times than she was comfortable admitting.
She sucked in a breath and turned towards the window to shield them from the looks to rummage through the daypack. 'Where are you,' she sighed. Finally, almost at the bottom of Teddy's bag, she grasped at something soft and pulled out the small cap.
Once she had managed to put it over Teddy's unruly hair, she turned back and gave the woman opposite her a small smile. The brunette wrinkled her nose and turned back to her book. Andromeda chuckled. Oh, Nymphadora would've loved this story and she hoped from somewhere she would see her now. Her stomach dropped and she held Teddy a little closer. Thankfully, he didn't protest but instead gurgled and clasped at her fingers.
She detached herself from the lingering painful feeling and turned her attention back to the landscape the train was crossing.
Ted, Dora and she had often travelled to Bath by train because her two Huffelpuffs had loved trains. Andromeda would have preferred to floo, as it was much quicker and less fussy, but she was often persuaded to take the train. In retrospect, she was glad because now she had those beautiful memories to dwell on.
The route through lush, blossoming greenery was beautiful as always. She knew the track inside out. As she stared into the vastness outside the window, she started to feel cramped in the musty compartment surrounded by Muggles.
The tightness in her chest cut her breath and wished she could open a window to breathe in the fresh air, but these Muggle trains didn't allow that anymore. She closed her eyes and forced herself to think about her in-laws to calm herself.
The last time she had seen Helen and Richard had been when Ted had decided to hide from the snatchers and Nymphadora had announced her pregnancy. It had been a tearful goodbye, neither of them sure when they'd meet again. They had decided to cut all contact for as long as necessary to keep the Tonks' safe. Therefore, they didn't know about Ted's death yet and they didn't know they were great-grandparents of a tiny metamorphmagus. Her eyes grew moist and she wiped her face with the back of her hand.
Time crept. She contemplated for a while what she would say to them but came up empty.
After what felt like an eternity, the train pulled into Bath.
-3-
Andromeda looked at the house at the end of the street. It was an ordinary Sunday in Bath. Nothing seemed out of the orderly. Her in-laws were probably having Sunday roast like they often did. Maybe Ted's sister and her family were there too.
She climbed the steps and lifted her hand to ring the bell. Before she could do so, dread washed over her and she lowered it again. She sat on the concrete steps to gather herself. Teddy scrunched his nose and stretched to catch a strand of her hair that he immediately shoved into his mouth. Andromeda looked at him for a while, released him from the sling and removed his cap because he was sweating.
After a few breaths and soothing words to Teddy, she felt strong enough to face them. Just as she turned to get up, the door opened and in front of her stood Helen, who had her sandy hair tied into a knot at the nape of her neck. Her eyes were as blue as Ted's had been and she could spot hints of his smile on her face.
'Andromeda!' The older woman drew her into a hug. 'I saw movement outside, but I sure wasn't expecting you, dearest!' She gasped and her smile broadened when she spotted Teddy. Softly, she caressed his hair. 'And that must be my great-grandbaby, yes?' Andromeda nodded with a small smile.
'Hello, sweetheart! My, how handsome you are.' The older woman cooed and kissed his cheek.
Careful, she lifted the baby from Andromeda's arm and pressed him against her chest where she rocked him and he squealed delightedly.
Andromeda sobbed. It wasn't right, she shouldn't be here alone.
Helen immediately snapped out of her reverie. 'Andromeda?' she asked with concern in her voice, but Andromeda couldn't answer.
She stepped closer, clasped at the fabric of Helen's jumper and hugged her tightly, inhaling her scent, which calmed her a bit just as it had countless times before. Beneath her fingers, she felt Helen tense up.
Moments later, Richard stepped out of the dark hallway into the sunlight.
'Andromeda,' Helen whispered again. She broke away from their embrace to take a good look at her. Helen put her hand on her shoulder and eyed her. She let her gaze drift behind Andromeda, and it did not escape the witch that her expression changed from mild concern to dread. Andromeda pressed her hand against her mouth and shook her head.
'Let's go inside,' Richard, paler than usual, said in a voice that sounded unsure. He took his wife's hand, put his hand on the small of Andromeda's back, and led them both into the living room.
Helen laid the baby on the couch, secured him with a blanket and then pulled Andromeda into a tight hug. They held each other for a moment before Helen asked in a broken, soft voice, 'where are they, Dromeda?' Although Helen's embrace was warm, Andromeda shivered.
'I'm so sorry,' Andromeda whispered, not able to say more, her voice thick with tears.
She didn't quite register when Helen let go of her and hunched over. Andromeda's throat constricted and for a moment, she was unable to move a muscle.
'I'm so sorry,' she choked out and, before her knees gave way, dropped down on the couch next to Teddy and put her face in her hands.
Richard wrapped an arm around Helen to keep her from falling and slowly, they sank to the floor together, their cheeks pressed together, whispering words of comfort to each other.
Andromeda watched them, unsure if Ted's embrace would ease some of the pain she felt for Nymphadora. Probably not, but she would give a lot to feel his arms around her now and hear his soothing voice.
For the first time that day, Andromeda allowed herself to feel her loss. It felt like someone was tearing her apart limb by limb and squeezing her throat at the same time. She didn't wipe the tears, not even when they ran down her throat.
A soft hand on her knee pulled her out of her mourning.
'Mum,' Andromeda whispered and grabbed the warm hand and held it tight.
Although it was an unfair thought, she was glad that she was not the only one who suffered this pain.
Helen heaved herself up and sat down next to her while Richard stayed on the floor, leaning his back against the couch. Andromeda would not have been able to bear empty words, but the quiet comfort of her mother-in-law was soothing.
Andromeda rested her head on her shoulder and tried to muster the strength to speak out the terrible guilt she felt for letting her daughter go into battle.
Her voice was low and hoarse when she finally spoke. 'We had quite the row when I told her not to go. When she finally looked at me, I saw in her eyes that she'd chosen duty over love. I wanted to argue, but then she begged me to protect her child.' Her breath caught and it took her a moment to continue. 'How could I have said no, mum? How could I deny her this wish to keep her baby safe?'
Despair spread through her chest, for she wished nothing more than that someone had protected her child, and she resented herself for not having been the one to do it.
'I held her and then I let go! How could I just let her go, mum?'
She sobbed and would have wanted to cry, but her eyes remained dry. Exhausted, she put her head in her hands while many thoughts raced through her head. All that remained was the most horrible of all. 'Bellatrix murdered her,' she whispered, unable to process it, hardly believing her own words. After a moment of stunned silence, Andromeda lifted her head and looked at Helen.
Her cheeks were pale and the grip on her thigh was tight. After a moment, the older woman met her eyes.
'Andromeda, I-' Helen uttered in a weak voice but broke off and shook her head. Twice more she opened her mouth but said nothing and then squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth.
'And my Teddy?' she asked after a moment's hesitation in such a low voice that Andromeda had to strain to hear her.
The question hit Andromeda hard. After his death, she had to look after Nymphadora and then Teddy came along. Through all this and the turmoil of the war, she had never been able to properly mourn him. The snatchers had come by and teased her about his torture and murder. Where his battered body lay, they did not tell her, only that they had made sure she would never see him again.
She feared losing herself in the painful memory and refocused on the woman in front of her, her jaw tight as she looked into her eyes. For a moment she toyed with the idea of hiding the truth from her, but her mother-in-law had always seen through her omissions.
She grabbed Helen's hand and held it against her heart. 'They tortured him,' she choked out as pain constricted her throat. 'And didn't tell me where he is.'
The strangled sob that escaped Helen's lips made her shiver. Her father-in-law left the living room without saying another word.
Guilt and pain overtook Andromeda and rattled her. 'I'm sorry, mum,' she forced out through dry sobs. 'If we hadn't married, if I'd stayed with my family, you'd still-'
'No!' Said Helen in a sharp voice, squinting her eyes and grabbing Andromeda's wrist. 'Stop it! This is not your fault!' She took a shuddering breath. 'He loved you so much!'
Tears ran down Helen's cheeks and Andromeda felt helpless, the older woman having always been the one to offer comfort and guidance.
He loved you echoed through her head and Helen was right. They had loved each other until the very end and she would've loved him for years to come. Anger bubbled up in her chest. Rage at having everything taken away from her, but she suppressed it for the sake of Helen, who looked terribly pale.
Once she had gathered herself, Andromeda carefully put Teddy into Helen's lap and ran her fingers along his cheek. 'Holding him helps. They named him Edward Remus but called him Teddy.'
Helen drew a shuddering breath and stroked over the baby's rosy cheek. 'He's perfect.' Her cheeks were still wet, but the tears had stopped.
The witch leaned her head against Helen's shoulder as she held onto Teddy's hand. 'He's everything,' whispered Andromeda.
He changed his hair colour to a bright and warm yellow. It was marvellous and upsetting at the same time seeing him change. Judging by her reaction, Helen felt the same.
'A metamorphmagus, just like his mum.' Andromeda said, pride colouring her voice. 'He'll keep me on my toes.'
Helen chuckled. They gazed at the ever-changing hair of Teddy while Andromeda contemplated. The prospect of going back to an empty house, an empty life, scared her. 'I don't know how to go on, mum.' She held onto Helen's free hand tightly.
Helen sucked in a breath and contemplated for a moment. 'I suppose we take it minute by minute. And soon it will be day by day again.' Her tone held some certainty, but Andromeda didn't miss the tremor.
Minute by minute, Andromeda repeated in her head and hoped it would soon turn into hour by hour.
Richard returned with steaming cups of tea and biscuits. He had always shown his affection through small actions such as this and his son had picked up this habit. A wistful smile tugged at Andromeda's lips.
When she looked at Richard, his eyes were red-rimmed and his hands were shaking. Andromeda stood up, took the tray from him and put it on the small table. She pulled him into a hug, which he returned immediately. He sniffled and she gently rubbed his back.
'Come, dad, it's time you meet Teddy.'
Helen patted the seat next to her and put Teddy into Richard's arms. Andromeda sat down in the armchair and took a mug of honey-sweetened chamomile tea and a biscuit.
'He's a feisty little guy,' Richard exclaimed as he held him and Teddy put his tiny fists in the air and made a gurgling sound.
Both women smiled and Andromeda's heart warmed. Teddy was happy and at that moment, that was all that mattered.
Andromeda carefully took a bite of her biscuit so as not to let the crumbs fall all over the floor and chewed it slowly as she leaned back into the cushions. To her relief the biscuit didn't turn her stomach, so she dared to eat all of it and go for a second. She looked at the doting couple, fawning over Teddy and suddenly felt more alone than ever before. She averted her gaze and focused on her grandson, who was gurgling and kicking the air.
All three of them sat and watched Teddy, lost in their own thoughts.
After a while, Helen got up and put her hand on her shoulder. 'Stay as long as you like, Dromeda.'
Andromeda nodded, relieved, looking forward to spending the night enveloped in the comforting, familiar warmth of the Tonks household instead of her home that now felt too empty and the memories hidden inside too raw to face.
Andromeda nodded weakly. 'If you don't mind, I'd like to go lay down.'
Helen gathered her in her arms. 'We're here, yes? Whenever you want company.'
'Thank you, mum.' Andromeda nodded and hugged her tightly.
Tired, Andromeda climbed the stairs with Teddy in her arms. She paused briefly and closed her eyes with her hand already on the doorknob as numerous memories passed her by.
Memories of the nights she had spent in Ted's arms in that room when they were barely adults. She remembered the nights they had spent in this room with their daughter, telling her stories of Hogwarts, making faces and laughing. She remembered how they had to change his bedroom into a guest room after Helen had threatened them numerous times with a cheeky smile that otherwise, she would simply throw everything away.
Despite the gnawing guilt that she had been the cause of his death, she was glad she had married him, for the memories, and the life they had created together, were worth more than any galleon. She looked at the boy in her arms and vowed to create memories just as beautiful with him.
She opened the door and marched into the room. It looked as if no time had passed. As if only just yesterday she had slept in there, safely enveloped in Ted's arms. That was not even two years ago and now he was somewhere she couldn't reach him and it almost forced her to her knees.
With her grandson nestled on her stomach, she squeezed her eyes shut.
'Minute by minute,' she whispered. She would take life one minute at a time.