"Is there a baby yet?" Harry asked as he kissed his way down the
center of her body. His hands making up for the attention his lips
neglected to give to her breasts.
She ran her fingers through his hair, pulling gently on his scalp.
Andromeda loved the feel of his hair, wild and soft, almost like wool
before it's been spun into thread.
His hands traveled from her breasts to her sides, holding her in place
as he explored every inch of her midsection.
It was almost too much sensation, she couldn't help but squirm -but
not to get away. Oh, no, if anything she wanted more, much more,
and she wanted him to go lower.
He nipped at the side of her hip, causing her to startle and then
laugh.
"Would you be offended if I said I think I am starting to see a bump?"
he asked while laying the gentlest of kisses on her navel.
"No, but only because it's your cooking skills that gave me that
'bump,'" she responded, her tone light, her voice throaty.
"Hmmm," Harry murmured against her skin. "Are you sure you're not
pregnant?"
She grinned at him, the hope sparkling in his emerald eyes and the
encroaching darkness that the promise of good sex could bring.
"No, my love, not yet," she said, running her hand over his forehead,
her thumb tracing of his lightning bolt scar.
He sighed dramatically, his breath tickling along her skin, "I suppose
I'll have to try harder."
"Be careful, fledgling, I am not your broodmare."
Harry slid lower on her body and nipped at her thigh. Automatically
her legs clamped around him, her calves and feet coming to rest on
his shoulders and back.
The resulting look in his eyes could only be described as wicked,
"Oh Dromeda, there is far more I wish to do with you than just make
babies." His smile widened, "And do to you."
When his tongue touched her center she lost all sense of time and
place.
"Harry!" she gasped, her hands clenching at the sheets.
Harry did many things to Andromeda, some of those things may
have resulted in a child, but of all those actions resulted in her
pleasure, and in his.
The next day, when the music started, Andromeda was suddenly in
her element. It didn't matter that these people -these purebloods ,
were from her old life; on the dance floor, no one was as graceful, as
beautiful, or as powerful as her.
Andromeda knew every step, was ready for any beat, any dip in the
melody. This small studio overlooking the streets of Hogsmeade was
her empire and anyone who stepped a foot in her domain was her
subject.
Of course, everyone here tonight knew how to dance, with a few less
seasoned children hanging around the edges. But the thing about
muggleborns and halfbloods becoming the majority in their world
meant there fewer and fewer opportunities for prolonged dancing. So
they went abroad to extravagant balls, or through expensive parties -
which fewer and fewer of them had the extra money or the interest to
spend on such events. Or they organized a group outing and bought
a dance floor for a night, like this night.
Every witch and wizard here tonight wanted both to enjoy
themselves and improve their dancing. Andromeda's purpose was to
host them and to teach them more technical moves, such as lifts and
cross spins.
The children who were there -most over the age of ten, were meant
to watch, as their lessons had been scheduled for the following
week.
Andromeda gilded between pairs both a part of from the dance and
orchestrating it. As the night wore on she simply became another
one of the female dancers switching partners.
She wished Harry were here. There had been a few nights now
when she convinced him to come with her and be her partner.
Teddy had come once, but that had ended in disaster and somehow
Harry owing Aberforth- whose establishment was half a mile in the
other direction, three chickens.
Aberforth -to Andromeda's knowledge, hadn't even owned chickens.
As Teddy was only a year old, the amount of trouble he seemed to
locate was extraordinary, but then must one year olds weren't
werewolf animagus with the ability to shift his human appearance as
well. All things considered, that no one knew yet -aside from the
Malfoys, Bill, Fleur, and Hermione, that Teddy could shift was
surprising. Although, it was only a matter of time until the twins,
otherwise known as their sacrificial babysitters, would find out.
Andromeda had original doubted Harry's choice in babysitters but
the Weasley twins had well and truly risen to the occasion. Although
it had only been for two hours and Harry was only a fifteen minute
walk from their home, Harry had been more on edge than Teddy
about leaving his son with- not strangers, but someone who wasn't
Teddy's Grandmother.
Andromeda remembered being the same way about Nymphadora,
and though she could empathize, Andromeda did worry about
Harry's ability to handle another baby. It wasn't that Harry wasn't an
amazing father but everyone had their li-
"I think this is the closest we've been together without you silently
threatening to shave off my body parts," Lucius drawled.
Andromeda looked up into the face of her brother-in-law who
somehow always seemed to have a colder exterior than Cissa.
"Why bore us both when we know who would come out on top?" she
asked, hating the angle the dance held her at. Unlike in the romance
novels, Andromeda preferred her men at eye level or shorter. Harry
was perfect because he could lift her while not making her feel small
or delicate, as Andromeda was neither.
It galled her anytime a man- such as the one she stepped across the
dance floor with, could look down their nose at her. She felt it gave
them a false sense of superiority.
But of course, this was Lucius Malfoy, and a false sense of
superiority was the byline of his business card.
And as if he could read the thoughts in her mind, Lucius said, "If I
said you looked radiant tonight, would you accuse me of insincerity?"
"No, but only because I know I look splendid tonight. However, I
might ask you purpose in offering such an observation."
His sharp features showed not a twinge of emotion, his steps never
faulting as he led her through a spin, but naturally, her tone would
mean nothing to him. The war of words, of small talk, and of rumour,
well, it was an ongoing war in which they both had been raised.
"I might tell you it is to please my wife, in hopes that you might spare
a kind word for your dear brother-in-law, or I might say the truth, that
it would be difficult not to remark on the beauty that happiness has
wrought in you."
"Quite the poet," Andromeda said with no small amount of venom in
her words.
"I didn't win your sister's hand with riches."
"It didn't hurt."
"Can you not simply take the compliment?"
"Has anything ever been so simple in our lives?"
"For a time, until the dead comeback to life and one begins fighting a
battle lost decades ago."
Andromeda raised a brow, "Serious talk."
"I may never get you to myself outside of Narcissa's scrutiny and
there are questions I wish to ask." And as he said that, she felt a
tremor of magic come between them, muffling their words.
She had seen Harry use that spell but she-
"One of Severus's inventions, now tell me why did you not join the
war?"
Andromeda glared at him, "Still choosing sides and drawing lines,
Lucius?"
His face went colder still, "I was given no choice but to follow the
mistakes of my youth, I wish to know if it was the same for you."
"Oh please, don't tell me your beliefs changed."
"My opinions about society have changed only in regards to lycons,
but were in my youth I followed blindly, in my time… well, faith
became… I had come to believe that only one's own family is to be
relied on. I still believe this."
"Noble," she said drily.
"Why did you not fight?"
And she gave the honest answer, "I was afraid I would do more harm
than good."
For all Lucius's faults, he accepted the answer for what it was, her
truth.
He bent forward, his face by her temple. "And has Harry swayed
you-" he deliberated over his next words, "to action?"
"That would depend on what you mean by action?"
"Bella was dangerous because she knew no restraint, no mercy, and
no task whose measures went too far. However, you were as gifted
as she, as potentially volatile, but you took yourself out of it all,
beyond aid or acknowledgment. You ran from it. Are you still
running," he asked, "sister?"
Andromeda thought of all the studies she had been participating of
late. The wandless duels, her potion brewing, and now, the
animagus training, not to mention those nights she lost her hardwon
restraint. Those nights when she woke from nightmares, her magic
and her emotions lashing out.
Every time she lost control, Harry was there, matching her in raw
power, allowing her to ride the magic, rather than suppressing it. So
yes- "I'm not running."
Lucius leaned back, a self deprecating smile curving his thin lips,
"And with all the power and glory in the world, Potter and you shall
squander it all."
"What happened to family first?"
"The two of you could shape the world."
"You tried that, look where it got you. Tell me, dearest brother, does
your collar pinch?"
His eyes narrowed ever so slightly, "And dearest sister, look were
standing on the sidelines got you. Was it worth it? Do you enjoy
trading in for a younger model? Even if he is younger than your first
child, I already know he is the better fit, for he does have the better
blood."
Her magic lashed out like a wrecking ball, slamming into and through
his aura. Like a car through a glass window, Lucius's natural
protections shattered. His body went slack and for a moment he fell
forward and she was forced to hold his weight.
He was not a delicate man.
Lucius regained himself a second later, as if he hadn't quite fainted,
but received a full body winding. Lucius staggered away from her,
into another twirling couple. Rather aggressively, they switched
partners. Lucius's gate halting and a half-beat behind the music. His
eyes were too wide and Andromeda was delighted to see fear on his
face.
Andromeda didn't know exactly what had happened, the literature on
accidental magic, especially in older wizards and witches, especially
not so accidental magic was rather sparse. But she knew that his
ability to use his magic would be irregillar and sluggish for a while.
She could feel his weakness, whereas when she had done similar
attacks on Harry, Harry had been able to absorb them, like a boxer
taking a punch. She always suspected that Narcissa was the more
magically advance than her husband, and now Andromeda knew it
as a fact.
She spun away with the new -slightly bewildered partner, a spring to
each on of her steps.
Growing up at the Dursleys, the house had always been unnaturally
clean. Harry's home was never dirty but there were always small
things left to be tidied. Teddy's toys were notorious for not always
finding their way to their boxes, a fact which proved precarious
during nighttime journeys to the restroom.
Nevertheless, the slight disorder of Harry's life was precisely the way
he liked it. Besides chores were never that difficult with magic, no
matter what mess was made, a flick of a wand and the house would
clean itself.
A factor which meant that when Harry set up paints for his son, he
laid out one long piece of paper and allowed the paint to fall were it
may. His only concession to order was that any artwork on the paper
could be kept while anything on the floor, walls, ceiling, or furniture
would be magicked away.
Harry was trying to paint a Wendy Bird who was modeling for him on
her living room perch, while Teddy painted an epic tale consisting of
Aberforth and Charlie's dragons represented by squiggles that could
be described -if one were very generous, as stick figures.
One of Andromeda's records played in the background. It was an
extremely pleasant way to spend one's evening at the Potter House.
Which of course, is when a knock sounded at the door.
With an aggrieved sigh, Harry pulled himself to his feet, abandoning
his attempts at blending shades of cream. Wendy Bird hooted at him
reproachfully, reminding Harry painfully of Hedwig.
Teddy didn't deign to look up. Concentrating so hard on a detail of
Aberforth's -what Harry hoped was a chicken, that Teddy's nose was
covered in paint
Of all the people Harry expected to be on his doorstep, Ronald
Weasley wasn't it.
They hadn't spoken -outside of Harry giving instructions for lectures,
since the day Hermione broke up with him.
Harry stood back, wordlessly inviting him in.
Ron still towered over him which as awkward as things were
between them made the height difference felt strangely intimidating.
Not that Harry was afraid of Ron, but because it was a nerve-grating
that he was no longer sure what was expected of him.
"Would you like some tea?" Harry asked. Tea could fix anything, or at
least give him something to do. "Teddy, Ron is here."
Teddy looked up briefly, muttered a hello before turning back to his
masterpiece.
Ron looked lost, Harry waved him to the kitchen.
They didn't speak as the water boiled and Harry prepared the tea
set.
"A tea bag in a mug, is fine, Harry," Ron said, finally breaking the
tension.
Harry shook his head, "Andromeda is very untraditional about some
things, but when it comes to tea- suffice it to say that there is no
bagged tea in this house."
"Oh," Ron said lamely.
Silence fell between them again and Harry was grateful for the music
in the other room.
When the tea was poured, the sugar cubes added, and the milk
stirred, Ron blurted, "I'm sorry."
Harry sipped his own tea and didn't voice the obvious question of,
Sorry for what?
"I'm sorry we aren't friends anymore," Ron elaborated, "And I'm sorry
for the way Mum has been treating you."
As his phrasing didn't seem to be trying to make up for those breaks,
Harry asked, "Why are you here, Ron?"
He brushed a hand over his jaw where a pale scruff was fighting to
immerge. "I'm here because I feel like there are things that need to
be said between us. Hermione didn't just break up with me, she
broke us up too."
Harry held his tongue because he felt that it was Ron who had done
that, it wasn't as if it was the first time Ron had left him.
"You slept with Hermione."
Harry saw no point in denying, "Yes."
"And now you're sleeping with Andromeda?" Ron asked, his tone a
bit disdainful.
"Yes."
"Are you still sleeping with Hermione?"
Harry gave him an exasperated look, "Do you really think either of
them would allow for themselves to be cheated on?"
"How am I supposed to know? I've never fucked someone twice my
age."
Harry snapped his fingers drawing up a one way sound bury
between them and Teddy. "Careful," he warned.
Ron glared at him, "Do you know who Hermione is fucking now?"
"You are perilously close to being thrown bodily from this property,
Ronald."
"This isn't easy you know."
Harry said nothing.
Ron sighed, "Hermione was the love of my life."
"Really?" Harry asked, his tone sharp. "Hermione was the love of
your life? Just like I was your best friend?"
"You don't know what it was like for me," Ron said.
"No, Ron, I suppose I don't, but you didn't know how it was for
Hermione or me either. That much I'm sure of."
"I lost a brother."
Harry opened his hands, motioning outward, "We all lost someone."
"But he was my brother."
Harry sighed, "Aside from Hermione, you were always my best
friend, but I never understood the way you saw the world. I never
could imagine how you seemed to perceive your hurt above all other
hurts. How your pain, your injured emotions were always more
significant than anyone else's."
As if to prove his point, Ron stressed, "You fucked my girlfriend."
"No," Harry said, "I made love to your ex -girlfriend, after you left us.
And the reason it bothers you so much is because we lost our
virginities before you did. Also, if you say 'fuck' in relation to
Hermione or Andromeda one more time, I am going to break your
face."
He glowered, "Neither of you told me, but I knew something had
happened between the two of you."
"I am aware of that," Harry said coldly.
"You are not making this easy."
"I don't even know why you are here, or what you want."
"I wanted to explain."
"Then explain."
"I am not the bad guy here," Ron said.
"Implying that I am?"
"No, no-" he sighed. "Things got messed up, we can't go back to
being kids, too much has happened between us to go back to being
friends."
"Some would say because so much has happened between us that
how could we not be friends."
"You've been through a lot with Malfoy and you're not friends with
him."
"Draco is Andromeda's nephew, I see him every week. We are closer
to friends than enemies nowadays."
"What? You're telling me you would claim the Malfoys as family?"
"They are family, Ron, I don't have to agree with or even like them
for that to be true."
"You can't be serious? Fuc- Dating Andromeda doesn't make her
and hers your family, Harry."
"We aren't just dating."
"You think what you have with her is permanent."
"Nothing is permanent but do I believe we are a committed couple?
Absolutely."
Ron gave him a disbelieving look, "She's just using you. Surely you
see that? Older women don't stay with younger guys. She just wants
you for your fame, fortune, and body. She doesn't actually love you."
Harry really wanted to punch him or possibly hex him into the next
century. "How would you know a damn thing about us? You don't
know either of us."
"I don't need to, it's obvious. She isn't going to keep you. You're her
rebound after he dead husband."
"Andromeda is more than you could imagine and you need to state
whatever it is you felt so urgent to interrupt my evening with my son,
then get out."
"I am never going to like her or the Malfoys."
"You don't need to, we aren't friends. You have made that abundantly
clear."
"But you are friends with my brothers, it isn't like we will never see
each other again."
"Then say what you need to say."
"My mum isn't okay."
Harry didn't know what to say to that.
Ron continued, "Dad says not all of her made out of the war. And it
was more than just losing a son. That entire lead up to the war, the
lot of us fighting... Ginny at Hogwarts, you and I on the run, the twins
and Charlie working for the Order, and Percy, Bill, and Dad in the
ministry.
"It tore her apart. I am told she was a different person before I was
born, before her own brothers died in the first war, but I don't think
she fought in that war. She killed in this one."
Ron frowned at the tea leaves in the bottom of his cup, as if he was
trying to read them. He placed it gently in the saucer and pushed it
away, "I don't think it helps that aside from the lighter hair, that
Andromeda looks exactly like Bellatrix Lestrange, well a healthier,
saner version, but honestly, Harry, they could have been twins."
Harry shrugged, it was a rare -fleeting moment when he saw
Bellatrix in Andromeda. Lately, if he saw a picture of Bellatrix, he saw
Andromeda in her, not the other way around.
"It really doesn't bother you?"
"When I first moved in with her, it was a tad unnerving, but no, it
doesn't bother me, not anymore, not at all."
"But Bellatrix killed Sirius."
Harry felt a sharp pain lanced through his heart. Sirius was nearly
four years dead, yet the pain of his loss… sometimes it felt as he
was watching him fall back into the Veil all over again. "They are
sisters, but they were never the same person," he said as if his heart
hadn't just torn into.
Teddy ran into the room then. Took one look between Ron and Harry,
and threw his very paint slathered brush at Ron. A streak of green-
brown paint splattered across Ron's face, shirt, pants, and table -the
brush coming to rest on his lap.
Ron stood to his feet, the paintbrush clattering to the floor.
Harry scooped Teddy up in his arms, turning his shoulder towards
Ron. Teddy was on his hip, shielded from the possible Weasley rage.
But although Ron's face turned red, he didn't lose his temper or yell
at the baby.
With paint still dripping down his face, he said, "I just needed you to
know, that we aren't friends anymore because I don't trust you, and
we aren't people who share -aside from our shared years at
Hogwarts, much in common.
"I also wanted to explain that while I might not speak out against my
mum, and while she's often defending Ginny and me against you
and yours, I don't necessarily agree with it all. If you keep showing
up at the house, especially with Andromeda, there will be more
drama," Ron sai, "I'm not telling you not to come, I'm telling you to be
prepared. She can't leave it alone. She loves you still, you know."
"I haven't hexed her," Harry said, then muttered, "yet."
"Please don't," Ron said earnestly, "she hasn't healed. I don't know if
she ever will."
"As long as it is just words, I can promise not to raise my wand
against her."
He nodded, wiping at the paint on his chin with the back of his hand.
Succeeding only in smearing the colors around. "Thanks, see you
this weekend then. I can show myself out."
Ron left nearly as awkwardly as he had arrived.
Harry turned his attention to Teddy, "Don't throw paint brushes at
guests."
Teddy ducked his head against Harry's shoulder, getting paint all
over his godfather's shirt.
"Sorry, Wendy Bird, Mapoppy," Teddy said remorsefully.
Harry quickly went to the living room to check on the little barn owl,
Teddy still in his arms.
Once more Wendy Bird was covered in paint.
Harry sighed, "How do you even manage to do that?"
"Throw paint!" Teddy exclaimed, throwing his hands out.
Harry's gaze looked up at the ceiling, and yes, there was clear
evidence of paint throwing.
"Well let's get this cleaned up before your Grandmama gets home."
Teddy gave him a fearful look. "Clean room?" he asked.
Harry smiled, "Clean the room and you."
"A bath?" Teddy whispered, there was a distinct look of horror in his
eyes.
Harry's smile grew wider, "A bath."
"Nooooo-" Teddy whisper shouted.
"Yeessss-" Harry whispered shouted back.
Teddy tried to squirm out of his godfather's grip. "No," he said more
firmly.
"Yes," Harry said pleasantly, carrying him straight to the tub.
"Why?" Teddy wined.
"Because you threw paint at the owl and a guest, but more than that
you're smelly."
"You're smelly, Mapoppy."
"I am?" Harry asked grinning, "I guess we'll be taking a shower
then."
He shut and locked the bathroom door behind and stepped right into
the tub, clothes, Teddy, and all.
When he turned on the shower head, Teddy screamed with all the
pent up fury and despair as a house cat thrown into a pool.
Teddy Remus Lupin was not a fan of showers or baths