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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 1:17:04 GMT -5
The Black Cat Apartments were still showing damage from the attack, but they were rebuilt enough that they were letting the tenants move back in.
After he left Arthur and Roland, Ted went straight back to those apartments, but not to his own. He had to see Andromeda. Listing to Roland lament for his unrequitted love with Riley, and hearing just how deep the man was, he needed to see Andi.
He knocked on her door, a somewhat worried look in his blue eyes.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 1:36:00 GMT -5
Andi was lucky. Her fight with Ted (it was now in her mind, just a little lover's tiff and not the heart-rending breakup that it had seemed at the time) had caused her to temporarily move out. So all of her things, including Agamemnon, were still intact. She was easily able to just move her things back in from the staff quarters at the school. It no longer seemed necessary to live there, now that she and Ted were back together.
She was in the process of rearranging her things when she heard the knock on the door. Her heart gave a tiny leap, hoping that it was Ted. She missed him whenever he wasn't there.
"Just a minute!" she called. She was standing on a stepstool, trying to re-hang her photograph of the Italian girl, and she was trying to get it straight. It took her a minute, but when she was done, she broke into a smile. It had felt weird not having the portrait up... she hadn't used it when she was at the school. She hadn't felt like that girl.
Getting down from the step stool, she walked over to the door and opened it. Immediately, she smiled. "Ted!" she greeted him happily.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 1:40:30 GMT -5
Ted smiled as well, pulling her into his arms and kissing her. It seemed like as suitable a greeting as any.
When he pulled away, he looked her straight in the eyes, looking for something, but whatever it was, he didn't say anything yet.
"Going to invite me in?" he asked, giving her a boyish grin.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 11:28:47 GMT -5
"What? You don't want to make out in the hallway?" she teased. "We could give my neighbors quite a show."
She noticed the odd look he had given her, but she assumed it was just that he had missed her and wanted to drink her in with his eyes. She was the same way, really. She loved to get lost in the depths of his beautiful blue eyes.
Kissing him once more, she stepped aside to let him in. "Come in. Agamemnon's been missing you. He says he likes the way you scratch behind his ears." She laughed, since of course, the cat had never said any such thing. But in the long weeks when she had been separated from Ted, she had spent many lonely nights with the cat, scratching behind his ears and wishing for Ted.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 11:41:11 GMT -5
Ted stayed where he was, however, when Andromeda opened the door to him. Part of him wanted to rush inside and pick her up in his arms and spin her around... but something she said struck a note with him, even though she'd been kidding.
"All right," he said. "Let's give the neighbors a show."
He swallowed, nervous to do what he was about to do, what he'd almost done everytime he saw her since the attack. The timing was never going to be perfect. Or it was always perfect... he didn't actually know.
He waited until he had her attention, and in the hallway outside her door, Ted dropped to one knee.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 11:50:38 GMT -5
Andi turned around, wondering why he wasn't following her. Surely he knew she was just kidding...
But when she saw him in the hallway, bent down on one knee, her stomach dropped to the floor, in a good way. Her eyes opened wide and she stared at him, barely breathing.
"Ted..." she gasped. Did she dare hope this was what she thought it was?
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 11:54:13 GMT -5
Ted's heart started beating too fast. He couldn't read her reaction, and he didn't know what he would do if she said no. He had it all planned out if she said yes. A no would devestate him.
Swallowing, he pulled the black velvet box from his pocket, where he kept it all the time, and opened it for her inspection. The diamond was small because he couldn't really afford something more, but it was pretty, and he thought it would look beautiful on her hand.
"Andromeda Black, marry me. Elope with me. Say yes."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 12:09:02 GMT -5
Andi literally couldn't breathe for a moment. Her throat went dry and her eyes filled with tears of joy. She'd been imagining this moment almost from the first date with Ted, but nothing could have prepared her for how it felt.
There was a long, pregnant pause, and then suddenly, the reality of the situation hit Andi. It wasn't a dream, it was reality. Ted loved her and really wanted to marry her. She let out a squeal and ran to him.
"Yes!" she cried, pulling him to his feet. "Yes, I'll marry..."
The rest of her words were lost as she pressed her lips to his.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 12:17:08 GMT -5
A wave of relief hit Ted when she said yes, and then everything sort of happened just the way he imagined it.
He wrapped his arms around, feeling secure in the thought that he could do this for the rest of his life now, and that nothing, nothing, was coming between them ever again. The logistics didn't matter. They would figure that out as they went. Things would take care of themselves, so long as they had each other.
He lifted her while they kissed, reluctant to break it, and stepped inside her apartment, closing her door with his foot.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 12, 2009 12:47:38 GMT -5
Andi closed her eyes, allowing herself to get lost in the moment. She hadn't even looked at the ring... as far as she was concerned, the real prize was the man holding her in his arms. He could have given her the ring from the end of a cigar and she would have been happy.
She was dimly aware that they had moved into her apartment, and that he'd closed the door behind them, but her attention was on him. She returned his kisses eagerly, as he carried her to the sofa.
Finally, she broke the kiss and smiled up at him. "I love you... I don't know how we ever thought we could live without each other."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 14, 2009 23:37:54 GMT -5
"I always knew I couldn't live without you, I just wanted you to be happy," Ted replied. It was true. He knew from the very beginning that he would be miserable without her, but if it meant her happiness and her family... well, then that's what it meant. He would do anything for her, and there were no conditions set on that.
"Would you say no if I asked you to elope with me right now?"
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 14, 2009 23:57:46 GMT -5
"All I needed to be happy was you," Andi said. "I know it's hard for you to understand... you have such a loving family, but I never had that. I was miserable with them. Narcissa is still speaking to me... the rest can shove off. All I want is you."
His next question took her by surprise. Elope? Now? "Are you serious?" she asked.
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 15, 2009 0:05:53 GMT -5
Ted's face became serious, and it wasn't a look he usually wore. Except for the time he was broken up with her, Ted always smiled. Anything else meant that whatever was on his mind was big.
"Yes," he told her. "I'm serious. Why not? I know Arthur's free, and I imagine Molly is too. We could grab them and run off somewhere romantic... France, maybe? And elope. My parents would forgive me, and your parents wouldn't want to be there. So why wait any longer than we already have?"
He didn't mention Veronica. He knew Andromeda was slightly jealous of her, and didn't want to breach the subject now. "Or let's forget even them, and it'll just be you and me."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 15, 2009 0:20:16 GMT -5
For the second time that night, Andi was breathless. It really did sound incredibly romantic... running off to France to get married. She'd leave as Miss Andromeda Black, and return Andromeda Tonks. Just the idea of it made her blush.
She wanted to say yes, but someone had to be practical. There were issues to discuss.
"I.... I'd love to," she gasped. "But... why? What brought all this on? Where will we live? Molly would kill me..."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 15, 2009 0:28:39 GMT -5
Ted almost shook his head at her practicality. As far as he was concerned, not of it mattered. "I don't know, Andromeda. We'll figure it out. Things will work themselves out. They always do."
It was too much of a hassle to explain the conversation with Roland that brought on the sudden proposal, so he said instead, "I've had the ring since the day I left the Hospital Wing, Andi, and I just haven't figured out how to ask you until today. We'll figure out where to live, and Molly will forgive you, but if you're that worried, let's go get her, and she can be a part of it."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 15, 2009 0:49:14 GMT -5
Andi smiled and kissed him. "You did? Really?"
They'd only just got back together, and all practicality told her that they should wait. They still needed to figure out how they fit together again. They should take some time, ease into it. So much had happened, they'd both hurt each other...
But she didn't want to think about any of that. Maybe it was crazy, maybe it was reckless... but she wanted this. She wanted him.
"OK," she said. "Let's do it. Let's just go."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 15, 2009 0:56:18 GMT -5
Ted grinned ear to ear with that little boys smile of his. If there was any doubt that this girl made him beyond happy, that smile should have laid it to rest.
"Yeah? I wasn't sure you'd actually go for it," he admitted with a laugh, and he kissed her, unable to help himself.
"With or without Molly?" He asked suddenly knowing that Molly would want to be there. Selfishly, he thought it would be more romantic if it were just them. And they wouldn't have to worry about all of the questions and both Molly and Arthur telling them they were rushing things.
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 15, 2009 1:12:56 GMT -5
Molly would try to talk her out of it. "I haven't really talked to her about us yet," she said. "She's been really busy with the reopening of Le Repas, and I haven't had a chance to talk to her. She'd want to be there... but I think she'd try to talk me out of it. And after what happened the last time you two met each other..."
She had only heard the details of their last encounter from Ted, who had watered the story down considerably. But she knew it was bad. "Oh, and Alice! And Sirius... They'd want to be there, too. Cissa would want to, but she has to keep up appearances."
She shook her head. "No. Forget them. We can have another ceremony later and invite everyone, right? I want this one to be just us."
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Post by Ted Tonks on Mar 15, 2009 1:17:25 GMT -5
"Andi, there is nothing more that I would love than to see you in a white dress with all of our friends and family around, but I just don't think that's us... not yet, and I don't want anything else trying to keep us apart. We'll have another ceremony, if that's what you want... but right now, I just want to be able to call you my wife. We'll worry about everything else later, okay?"
He smiled and took a step back. He wasn't going to ask if she was sure... she would tell him if she wasn't. "You're beautiful, and I am beyond lucky that I can call you mine." He held his hand out to her. "When you're ready. I know the perfect place."
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Post by Andromeda Tonks on Mar 15, 2009 2:02:36 GMT -5
Andi took a deep breath, then put her hand in his. "OK. Yes. Let's just go. But let me get changed, OK? I want to look pretty for you. And should we plan to stay a few days? Maybe I should pack an overnight bag. And Oh... I should cast a feeding charm on Agamemnon's bowl. He'll be mad at me for leaving, but he'll be OK..."
She was flustered and her cheeks were pink, but as she looked at his smile, she knew she was making the right decision. She pressed her lips against his in an urgent kiss, losing herself in him.
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