Small Town Gossip
It was barely light outside the dormitories, the early morning sun still hours away. Already, the courtyard was teeming with students making their way to class. A steady stream of activity had erupted around the castle as the school day got underway.
Numerous students passed by the Slytherin dormitories, their chatter and laughter echoing through the building. Despite the early hour, there was a sense of energy in the air.
Andromeda hadn't left her dorm for most of the weekend, which was fine, but when she didn't show up to her classes on Monday, whispers bloomed in her absence.
"Is she sick?"
"Do you think it's her time of the month?"
"Who knows... maybe she just likes to sleep in."
“Wouldn’t be surprised if burnout finally got her.”
The gossip and speculation about Andromeda's absence had reached a fever pitch by lunch time, spreading like wildfire through the school. Even the professors had begun to discuss her mysterious disappearance.
As a Black, naturally she had quite a reputation the second she stepped foot in Hogwarts but over the years she had also built her own. Determination and dedication to make a name for herself, it was one of the reasons she got to be a perfect and a head girl.
Lucius and his goons had spent the weekend in the infirmary. None of them seemed to have much memory of how they got to be this way, if it wasn't for other students finding them at Hogsmeade.
Supposedly, it was decided that the boys had one too many fire whiskeys. But, no one knew the truth about what happened to them. Clearly something was amiss but the only confirmation was the speculation in Skeeter’s gossip paper.
“I heard her and Lucius…you know, did it and now she's knocked up.” Some girl sneered from across the gap between the Slytherin table and Hufflepuff. “That's why he hit the booze so hard.”
“Before they're wed? Surely not!”
“Exactly! The scandal! It's probably why she won't show her face.”
Merlin, this mindless gossip never ended. Ted could barely take it and he sat trying to stomach his lunch. The last time he'd seen Andromeda was that night on the quidditch field, and honestly not the best night he'd had, despite what he'd hoped.
Even since Andromeda cut him off, he dreamed of a time they'd have together. An opportunity to get answers. Thanks to his luck, that opportunity only came when he was about to die. Made it harder to start a conversation.
I hope she's okay.
He always did. False hope anyways. Ted knew better than to presume everything in Andromeda's life was right as rain and pretty as a peach.
thump as a body slammed down next to him on the bench, pulling Ted from his mental trance.
Olivia.
“Hey?” Ted eyed the ravenclaw suspiciously as she settled down next to him and indulged herself to the food set out on Hufflepuff table.
“Yeah, hi.” She brushed him off, stuffing a sandwich in her face.
“...is there a famine over at your table?” He questioned wryly, eyeing her ravenous appetite.
Olive's cheeks were puffed out like a chipmunk with the amount of food crammed into her mouth, yet she managed to choke out a muffled reply.
"Yes." She swallowed hard, playing along with the bit. "Please, I'm starving."
Ted rolled his eyes in feigned annoyance, not entirely surprised by her lack of manners.
"Why can't you just eat at your own table?" He questioned in a weary tone but slid his plate over to her anyway.
"Because, I can't talk to you if we're at different tables.”
Ted let out an exaggerated sigh but couldn't help the amused smile that tugged at the corner of his lips.
"And why, pray tell, do you need to talk to me so badly?" he retorted, a hint of playful sarcasm in his tone.
"Because of our mutual ex girlfriend.”
Ted's smile faltered at her response. His previous good humour was replaced with a flicker of surprise. "Andromeda...?" he uttered, his voice betraying his attempt to maintain a neutral tone.
"No, Professional Swoopst- Of course, Andy." Olivia huffed, swivelling on the bench to face Ted. “What are we going to do?"
Ted's eyes darkened as he leaned forward, his expression turning serious.
"We?" he echoed, a hint of defensiveness in his voice. "What do you mean 'we'? We don't have to do anything.”
“Oh, come on Tonks.” Gleaves rolled her eyes. “If I wanted an ungrateful grump, I would have gone to Moody.”
“Ungrateful?”
“Andy has done more for you over the years than you even know and now the whole school is slagging her off and you're just going to sit there!?”
“She's not my fiance.”
“Wow.” Olivia tutted her tongue, pushing herself up off the bench. “Has heartbreak really made you so bitter, Teddy?”
"What do you want me to do, Gleaves?" Ted's voice was cold, all pretence of playfulness gone. His eyes flickered with anger and pain, emotions he had tried to hold back for days.
"She made her choice. She doesn't want anything to do with me. You think I didn't try?" he retorted. Olivia's lips pursed at his words.
"I know you tried, Ted," she conceded. "But it's obvious she needs help. Something is clearly wrong."
Ted looked away, clenching his jaw. The thought of something being truly wrong with Andromeda had been plaguing his mind all weekend, no matter how much he tried to push it away.
Olivia leaned in closer, her voice lowering.
"You love her, don't you?"
Ted's eyes snapped back to her, a mixture of vulnerability and anger in his gaze.
"Doesn't matter," he replied through gritted teeth. "She made it clear she doesn't want me anymore.”
"Meeeerlin's beard!" Olivia groaned. "Kill the pity party and help me please.”
Ted's shoulders tensed. He closed his eyes and let out a long exhale, visibly struggling to rein in his emotions. He was tired of the constant barrage of worries and questions.
He finally opened his eyes again, meeting Olivia's determined gaze.
"Fine," he relented. "What do you need from me?”
Olivia's face immediately perked up at his response. She quickly scooted herself closer to him.
“I have a plan,” She smiled wickedly, taking Ted's hand and dragging him out of the hall.
~
Ted followed Olivia into the dimly lit, empty dungeons - a rare silence. Only the flickering torches on the wall and a single candle lit on the dusty table provided any light.
Molly stood leaning against the cold stone wall, arms folded across her chest. When she saw them approach, her eyes flicked up briefly, studying Ted.
"Finally," she huffed, pushing off the rough wall. "What took you two so long?”
"You know how delicate boys can be." Olivia shrugged, then looking around. "Speaking of... where's-"
"I'm right here, nimrods." Alastor came sauntering down the dim corridor. "You really need to work on your observational skills, Gleaves." He said, taking up post next to Molly.
Olivia glared at him. "I still stand by what I said in first year, you're creepy Al.”
Alastor chuckled, a low, gravelly sound. "It's called having foresight, something you Ravenclaws seem to lack." He retorted with a smirk.
Molly rolled her eyes, clearly not finding his comment amusing. "Okay, okay, we all know why this friend group isn't chummy anymore." Molly placed herself between them. "Can we deal with the issue at hand please?”
They all had been close. Really close. A little troublesome troup, the four of them, Andromeda and…Rita. So naturally, things went south. Everything just got so complicated, especially over the past year.
Alastor and Olivia have always argued regardless of the group's dynamic, just two headstrong people. At times, Ted thought they enjoyed it. The satisfaction of a witty debate he could understand but the way they used to tear at each other was brutal.
“Right, Andromeda.” Olivia huffed.
Alastor rooted around in his pocket, retrieving a crumpled shred of paper. “I got what you asked.” He said, displaying it to Olivia. She snatched it up like a vulture, scrambling to unfold it.
“What's that?” Ted whispered to Moody.
“I lifted it from one of the Slytherin first years.” Alastor grumbled. “Stupid kids can't remember anything on their own.”
“It's the passwords.” Olivia finished the answer. “Merlin, these are dreadful, at least Gryffindor’s passwords are sometimes funny.”
“What is it?” Molly peaked over Olivia's shoulder to see the paper. “Oh my…”
“That's just not politically correct.” Olivia tutted, picketing the paper quickly. Swivelling on the cobbled hallway and heading towards the entrance, whispering in the password and opening Slytherin common room.
“Come on.” She beckoned them to follow her in as she disappeared under the archway.
As it was the middle of the school day, the common room was basically empty. The occasional strangler but no one seemed to care enough as the sight of a Ravenclaw, a Gryffindor and two Hufflepuffs breaking in.
Ted had been in this common room only once before. Most of the time we spent with Andromeda, they'd hang around Hufflepuff more. She had always said she just liked to hang around Hufflepuff because it was warmer and prettier but Ted always knew the real reason. He wasn't even sure why she lied about it.
The group made their way over to the spiral staircase leading up to the dorms.
“You guys will have to wait here.” Molly turned to the guys.
Hogwarts famous magic anti sex stairs. Of course. The bane of many young couples, but young wizards and witches could get creative.
“Never a problem when me and Andy were together.” Olivia winked, flashing a cheeky smile as she sauntered up the staircase.
“So, you dragged us here just to sit and wait.” Alastor grumbled. “Perfect.”
“Just sit tight for a minute, please.” Molly smiles softly before following Olivia up the stairs, leaving Ted and Moody in the common room.
There was an awkward silence between the two boys as they sat out of place, their yellow ties feeling ever so brighter against the green decor.
“Did I not tell you to get over her?” Moody broke the silence.
“What?”
“And now here we are, up to the same wacky shenanigans we used to.”
“I wouldn't call this wacky.”
Alastor threw a steely glare at him, leaning back against the wall. “I wish I had a timeturner to go back and tell my younger self not to hang out with you guys.”
“Love you too, man.”
The girls had been gone for a while, the thought of whatever state they had found Andromeda in nagged in the back of his mind.
Thundering rumble broke the silence as Molly came graciously stumbling down the stairs.
“She's gone.”
Ted stood, startled. “What?”
“Andromeda is gone.”
“Gone?” Alastor’s interest peaked. “Gone where?”
Olivia appeared at the top of the staircase with a dramatic huff as she slid across the wooden floors. Gripped in her hand, a crumpled piece of parchment.
“She's run away.”