Is there anyone else who has slightly mysterious bruises?

Author: edgewareroad (with moral support from clovermews)
Disclaimer: I love them like they’re my own, but they’re totally, totally J.K. Rowling's.
Pairing/Characters: Teddy(/James), Andromeda(, Al)
Notes: Teddy and Andromeda share a quiet moment before the wedding.
Rating: PG.


Albus begins to run down the list of things that Teddy should not do while walking down the aisle, and Teddy can feel himself getting properly nervous now. Soon—very soon, in fact—they will go downstairs for the ceremony. Teddy can hear the murmur of the crowd through the floor. Albus has just reached “no tripping, oh, and no inhuman eye colours”, when Andromeda appears in the doorway with a cup of tea.

“Will you excuse us, Albus? I would like to speak to my grandson for a moment,” she says from her place by the door, her tone demure but leaving no room for protest.

Albus looks Teddy over from head to toe and nods once.

“I’ll meet you downstairs. I’ll be there before you go,” he intones quietly to Teddy. Then Al turns, pauses long enough to take in Andromeda’s ensemble, smiles, and hurries out of the room.

“I brought you some tea,” Andromeda says, gently shutting the door behind him. She crosses the room gracefully in her high-heeled shoes and places the china cup and saucer on the dresser beside Teddy.

“I think I’m too nervous even for tea,” Teddy laughs breathily, then swallows. His throat feels dry.

Then, despite having told Albus that she’d come to speak with Teddy, Andromeda falls silent. She begins to inspect his clothing, tugging his collar straight and straighter still, brushing imaginary dust from the shoulders of his tuxedo.

After a few moments of this, Teddy catches her left hand, holds it between his own. He turns to look at her.

Her thick grey hair is swept up in an elegant bun. She wears a small, tasteful hat, adorned with blue and white feathers and pinned neatly just below her part. Teddy smiles. Of course tasteful--no doubt some piece mutually admired by his Grandmother and Albus.

“You look beautiful,” he says, because she does.

Andromeda smirks at this.

“Charmer,” she scolds, now fussing with the front of his hair. “No doubt how you won the heart of Witch Weekly’s favourite cover model.”

Teddy laughs properly this time, and pink shoots through his hair. Andromeda brushes her fingers through it, her smile turning wistful.

“Your mother would be so proud of you, Theodore…Teddy…” she whispers after another moment of silence. “Both of your parents. I am so proud of you. My little boy. Look at what you’ve become.”

Now they are both fighting against tears, unconsciously mirroring each other’s expressions, biting their lips and swallowing against the tight feeling in their throats, both knowing that they can’t cry now—not with everyone downstairs.

Then suddenly Andromeda throws her arms around Teddy’s neck. He holds her tight, smelling the perfume that will forever remind him of her and of home.

“You’ve always…” Teddy is struggling to maintain composure, but he has to get it out. “You’ve always been there. You loved me enough for a whole family. You were so…so brave and so strong, and all I want to do is make you proud. I—I love you, Grandmother.”

“And--” she begins, but has to take a steadying breath. “And I love you, Theodore.”

Then she steps back, looking at him from arm’s length, and manages to smile.

Teddy offers her his arm, and Andromeda takes it. They take another deep breath in unison and begin their walk toward the door and the crowd and the wedding.