The Quidditch field
Ted Tonks felt the wind whip through his hair as he stepped onto the Quidditch field, his broom in hand one hand and a bottle of fire whiskey in the other. He wasn't here to play, though. After practice, the rest of his team had run off to make dinner call, leaving him alone with his thoughts.
He stood in the center of the field, staring up at the night sky, his heart aching.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid." Ted cursed himself, slinging back a drink. What was he expecting?
As he looked towards the stars, bloody stars. Of course, he fell for the girl who's family came with an insane amount of meanings and lore behind them. He could never escape her.
And for a moment, Ted had believed she would escape for him.
But how could he ask her to do that? Leave everything, abandon her sisters, her cousins, her children really. Honestly, the way she spoke of her younger family members, anyone who didn't know any better would think Andromeda their mother. It was heartwarming to see the way she cared for them but it also broke Ted's heart all in one blow. She cared so deeply because no one else did.
The Black with a heart, a heart that would kill her. But it was Ted's favourite part of her. Despite the pain and anger she has been taught, Andromeda was kind and soft and warm and…
…and moving on.
Andromeda Malfoy, to be.
Ted let out a heavy sigh and mounted his broom, pushing off the ground and quickly gaining height.
Flying helped to clear Ted Tonks's mind. The wind on his face and the rush of speed helped him to focus on something other than the thoughts of Andromeda that had been plaguing his mind ever since she didn't recognize him. He flew around the Quidditch field, taking in the night sky and the stars above him. As he looked back to earth, he could see the dark outline of Hogwarts, and in that moment, he realised that despite the ache he felt in his heart for Andromeda, he needed to push forward and find his place in the world.
With that, Ted pushed himself towards the starry sky, the air cutting through his hair and the broom speeding through the night. The wind filled his lungs with fresh air and the stars above seemed to glimmer brighter as he flew ever higher. The crisp evening air brought a new sense of adrenaline into his systems, waking his systems up and clearing the fog within his mind.
As he looked out into the vastness of space, his heart began to release some of its tension, and a small sense of peace came over him. He still missed Andromeda, and he wished he could have one more conversation with her, just to see if all of his memories were real. But he knew that he could never go back, so he flew onwards with determination.
As he flew above the trees and the Hogwarts grounds, the wind whipped around him, carrying him ever higher into the night sky. He felt his heart soar with the freedom of flight and the beauty of the stars, and for a moment, he felt like he was truly in his element.
He could feel that he belonged here, in the vast and endless sky, and that he didn't need anyone or anything else. And in that moment, all of the feelings of loss and anguish that had been weighing him down seemed to melt away, like the moon's rays slowly dispelling the darkness of the night.
Ted flew higher and higher, enjoying every moment of his flight. He passed through the clouds and felt the temperature drop, but it was as if this only sharpened his senses. He felt the air growing colder and denser, and he could see the lights of the earth below him, tiny dots in a sea of darkness. The night was like his own personal playground, and he flew faster and higher, the wind rushing through his hair and the stars and the moon lighting his way.
As his body adjusted to the thinner air and the lower temperatures, Ted felt his mind becoming clear. He could see everything around him in such a vivid and sharp way, and he felt like he could do anything he put his mind to. He was free, truly free, and for a moment, he was lost in the ecstasy of flight.
As he neared the apex of his path through the heavens, he felt the adrenaline rushing through his veins and the wind whipping around him, carrying him on to greater heights.
Ted's broom crested a ridge, carrying him ever higher. The air was thin and sharp, but Ted didn't care. He leaned into his broom, his hair whipping behind him and his heart soaring with the rush of speed.
For a moment, his whole being felt weightless, free from any cares of the world and at peace with the vastness of the universe. He was a tiny speck in the midst of a great expanse, and he felt alive in a way he hadn't experienced before. As he rode along the wind, he felt himself become one with the stars above. Maybe he could be with her up there, together in space.
Up. Up. Up.
With every rise, Ted felt the adrenaline rush through his body. He pushed himself higher and higher, feeling the air grow scarce and the air grow thinner. His body started to ache, but he ignored the pain, determined to reach the edge of the skies.
But in his haste to see how far he could push himself, Ted had lost sight of his own weakness. The higher he flew, the more his body struggled to breathe, and suddenly, he felt the air thin within his lungs.
As Ted kept flying higher and higher, he could feel himself starting to gasp for air but he couldn't stop flying upwards, the thrill and rush of speed was too much for him to think about his own safety. He was so close to the heavens, so close to touching the stars that he felt as if he would reach out his hand and grasp them.
As Ted flew higher and higher, the speed and adrenaline of taking the risk of reaching the crest caused him to ignore the sudden creaking and wobbling of his broom. By the time he realised the danger, it was too late.
"AHH!" With a sudden jolt the broom gave way, and Ted started to fall towards the earth below. The sudden weightlessness and loss of control sent a shudder down his spine, and in a flash of panic, he tried to regain control of his broom. But his efforts were too little, too late and he was falling fast.
He tried to steady his broom but he could feel it starting to plunge downwards, carrying him towards the ground with terrifying speed. After a few frantic moments, he pulled back as hard as he could, but it wasn't enough. He was headed towards a certain disaster and there was nothing he could do to stop it. He could hear the wind whistling in his ears and the beating of his heart hammering away.
As Ted fell, he closed his eyes, his heart racing at a thousand beats a second. He could feel his breath catching in his throat and his limbs trembling with fear. He thought of Andromeda, her dark hair and bright smile, and wondered if this was the end. He hoped that she would eventually remember him, the time they had spent together. He hoped she would look up to the sky and see the stars and remember him with a smile.
The breath knocked from his lungs and the blood pumping through his veins creating a ringing in his ears. In an instant, it crossed his mind that dying in a broom accident would be a rather undignified end. He closed his eyes, bracing himself for a painful collision with the earth and waiting for the end.
But as he neared the ground, he felt a yank and warp of air before being sent tumbling through tall grass. He barreled across the ground, knocking what little wind he had left in his lungs clear out.
Finally when momentum gave out, Ted sprawled out flat on the field. His chest heaving, ears ringing, lungs burning, muscle aching.
"ARE YOU INSANE!?" A harsh voice scolded him, growing nearer. "WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!?"
Ted rolled over to get a better look at the company but his vision was hazy from the fall.
Ted slowly regained his bearings as he rolled over to see who had been shouting. His vision was still hazy but he thought he recognized the voice, although it certainly wasn't a voice he expected to hear in the middle of the night in an empty field.
"Andy?" he asked, blinking away the blurry image of her face. He blinked again, his vision slowly coming back into focus, and opened his eyes and tried to focus on the angry voice. He saw a dark shadow looming over him, and he could hear some vague rumblings of frustration. He reached up to rub his head, his brain struggling with the memory of the fall and his mind still racing from the rush of adrenaline.
"ARE YOU DUMB?!"
"I…I don't know," Ted Tonks hissed out as he blinked the fog from his vision. He tried to regain some semblance of control after the rush of excitement and fear, but the last thing he could remember was flying up, and up, and up. He was met with the grim face of Andromeda, who looked ready to deliver a string of reprimands for Ted's reckless behavior. Surely this was in his head, he must be imagining it.
For a moment, he fell still. Simply staring into her sneering gaze. The trance only broke as rough coughs racked through his chest, ripping through his throat.
Andromeda crouched down beside him, rolling him over onto his front and rubbing his back with a cold but comforting hand. "You moron."