Forbidden Fate

Chapter Seven: Consequences

"Ted! Ted, snap out of it!"

They were in Transfiguration the next day, and Ted was still in a daze from the night before.

"She kissed me," he repeated for the hundredth time. "She kissed me."

"You sound like a broken recarb player," said Kirley, exasperated. "And remember, she dashed out of there right after it happened without saying a word. Not a good sign."

"It's 'record' player," said Ted dreamily. "Which she really liked, by the way."

Kirley gave up and asked McGonagall if they would be transfiguring anything useful, like earmuffs. She only rolled her eyes. A paper airplane zoomed into the room, landing on her desk. She unfolded and read it, looking puzzled.

"Mr.Tonks, the Headmaster wants to see you straight away." She raised her voice to get a response. "Wake up, Tonks!"

Several people in the class giggled as he came out of his reverie. "Wha--what? Why do I have to see Dumbledore?"

Kirley nudged him, lifting his shoulders as if to say, "How should I know?" Ted gathered his books and managed to walk out of the classroom. What had he done now? He couldn't think of anything that might have gotten him in trouble, but then again he hadn't been thinking at all lately...

He followed the directions on McGonagall's parchment up to Dumbledore's office. None of his friends had ever been in there before. The circular room was as eccentric as Dumbledore was himself. There were whirring silver devices everywhere and portraits on the wall. Even after five years at Hogwarts, Ted was still amazed every time he saw one move.

"Ah, Ted. Thank you for coming." Dumbledore stepped out of nowhere, smiling slightly under his long beard. Ted relaxed immediately.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble," said the Headmaster, voicing exactly what Ted was thinking. "After all, your friend Andromeda is here as well."

She stepped out from behind him, blushing and avoiding Ted's eyes. She seemed as confused as he was.

"Hi," he whispered as she went to stand by him. She smiled back shyly.
"To get to the point," said Dumbledore, as if he hadn't noticed their awkwardness at all, "I just wanted to know how the tutoring was going."

"How'd you know about that?" asked Ted, mystified.

"There isn't much going on in Hogwarts that I don't know about, Mr. Tonks." He paused, and his eyes twinkled. "It helped, of course, that Professor Fenwick told me about it."

"But why?" blurted Andromeda. "Why would you care if a student needs extra help in Potions?"

"I care if any student needs help in any subject," he answered earnestly. "But in this case...it was somewhat different. I don't want to give offense, but you two are an odd couple."

"We're not a couple," they said at the same time. Dumbledore only smiled.

"I meant that you have an unlikely friendship. When your parents requested that you be given extra help, Miss. Black, it put Professor Fenwick in an interesting situation. There was a great possibility you and Mr. Tonks wouldn't get along--simply because your backgrounds are so different. But he also thought that you could learn from one another. You could learn that things aren't always in black and white, though some others may have told you otherwise."

Andromeda suddenly looked uncomfortable, and Ted took her hand in a reassuring way. "Please, Professor. Let's keep my family out of this."

"It's not just your family." He sighed. "The whole wizarding world is changing. In ten years Muggle-borns and purebloods may be afraid to speak with one another, let alone hold hands."

"That will never happen," said Ted. "Sure, there might be some nutters out there who care about stuff like that, but the vast majority doesn't. They're sane."

"Unfortunately, there are more than just a few nutters out there. And you wouldn't believe how fast they panic--and therefore control--the 'sane' majority."

"So what's your point?" asked Andromeda bitterly. "Should we hide in the Room of Requirement for the rest of our lives?"

The greatest wizard of the age stared them down. "No. I'm asking you to do something much more difficult, and therefore more courageous. Be careful, as you have always been, and remain friends. But when the time is right--and you will know when that is--you will have to decide which is more important: your friendship, or what people think of you."

There was silence. Dumbledore checked his magnificent clock and said, "You had better get back to class now, or Professor McGonagall will have a few 'words' with me in the staff meeting today. And they won't be pleasant."

Ted and Andromeda laughed weakly as he ushered them out.

"What did he mean?" asked Andromeda as they went down the stairs.

"Who knows? It's Dumbledore; I don't think anyone is supposed to really understand him. In any case, we have two years to think about it."

They stopped at the bottom of the stairwell and, safely hidden behind the gargoyle door, Ted made his move.

"Andromeda, about that kiss last night..."

She blushed again. "Ted, it was just..."

"No, wait. Hear me out. I know why you did it and I know when enough's enough. It's fine if you only want to be friends. I suppose I owe you an apology, so...I'm sorry. I was pretty rude."

"I didn't behave much better, so I'm sorry too. As for the kiss...it might have had more reasons than one behind it." Seeing his face brighten, she added, "But don't get your hopes up. For now we're friends?"

He nodded and went to shake her hand. Then he realized he was still holding it.

~~~

For the rest of the week, Andromeda mulled over what went on in Dumbledore's office and tried (without success) to stop thinking about Ted. She thought she was doing a pretty good job of hiding her feelings--until Derrick began questioning her.

"You weren't at dinner Friday night," he stated, taking a seat next to her at the table in the library. Andromeda was busy working on Potions homework. She looked up at her longtime friend, and once again thought of Ted. They were so different. Derrick's dark brown hair was as clean-cut as could be. As was the rest of him.

"I...wasn't hungry," she faltered. "I felt sick so I went to bed early."

"That's not what Priscilla Normad told me," he pressed. "She said you came in late at night and didn't get to sleep for hours afterward."

"Since when do you chat with Priscilla Normad? And anyways, her story makes no sense. How would she know if I'm sleeping or not?"

"You snore. I found that out the night I slept over at your house, remember?" He sighed. "I know you well enough now, or I hope I do, to know when something's going on. And something's been going on ever since you started being tutored."

He stared expectedly at her.

"Derrick," she said, temper rising, "What I do in my spare time is none of your business. I appreciate your concern, I really do. But you don't have to stalk me like you're my brother or something."

"Brother?" he said bitterly. "Fine. You're right. But you do know that you can tell me anything, and I'll listen. Anything at all."

"I'll remember that, thanks," she said. She picked up a book and began reading it, determinedly not looking at him. He eventually got up and walked away, but not before looking back at her one long, last time. It was eerily familiar.

"Oh no," she thought. "Here we go again."