Alphard Black had gotten a letter two days ago from his niece saying she needed to talk to him.
So now he found himself sitting in a room in the Leaky Cauldron that Andromeda had booked for a month before she and Ted got married. Of course Alphard was the one paying for it,even if Andromeda had insisted that she had enough money saved up.
For some reason as Alphard sat there waiting for Andromeda to come out of the shower,he felt sad.
Well,not necessarily sad,nostalgic was a better word. Or maybe Melancholy.
He still couldn't believe that the baby he had held in his arms as she took her first breaths,the little child he used to play dress up with and the young lady who wrote to him everyday about her adventures in Hogwarts was getting married.
Where had all the time gone? Just yesterday this woman had been the small child who used to sit on his shoulders as they wandered around Diagon Alley.
Alphard frowned as he ran a hand through his rich black hair and shook his head. He really was turning into an old man,and he wasn't even fifty yet.
Anyhow,it never did any good to dwell on the past. Best to just live in the moment.
"I'm here,sorry to make you wait Uncle Al." Andromeda came into the room,her dark brown hair still damp and her silver eyes shining with happiness as she caught sight of him. She was wearing a simple light yellow shirt with a denim jacket and faded jeans underneath.
Alphard personally thought she looked more elegant in robes but he didn't comment on it.
He smiled as he got up to meet her. "Lady Andromeda,how are you?" He inquired, bowing down and taking her hand before kissing it. She rolled her eyes at him and giggled. "Merlin,Uncle. Still as childish as the last time I saw you" she grinned. Alphard Straightened and opened his arms in invitation,smiling softly.
His niece's grin widened as she collided with a strong chest and arms came to wrap around her. "Jokes aside though,how are you? Taking no stress because of the wedding,I hope."
She shook her head and his smile widened. "Good." He said,releasing her and sitting back down again. She sat down next to him and fondly rolled her eyes when she saw him examining her.
"For Circe's sake,Uncle! I'm not hurt or sad or stressed." She laughed,resting her head on his shoulder.
Alphard felt himself relax at that sentence. The way the letter had been written had gotten him quite worried. It was a relief to know she was okay.
"So,I'm sure you're wondering why I asked you to come here." Andromeda spoke,sitting up properly and looking at him. He nodded. "I'm quite curious if I do say so myself."
She suddenly looked away and inhaled a deep breath before slowly exhaling. Then she looked back at him and he could see how nervous she was. That made him frown. What could possibly make her so nervous?
"Meda,what's wrong?" He questioned her,putting a hand on her shoulder to urge her on.
"I'm disowned by the Family,right?" She asked,making Alphard frown deeper.
Where was she going with this?
Nevertheless,he decided to play along. "Yes,you are. For er,'letting yourself get sullied by a mudblood'."
Though they weren't quite wrong in that. Even Alphard dissaporoved of the fact that she had eloped with him before getting married but he understood her desperation for wanting to get away from the family as soon as possible. Not the muggleborn part, though.
That was just their prejudice.
Andromeda nodded,even though Alphard noticed she'd tensed a bit. "And I'm disowned by my immediate family too,right?" She asked,tears gathering in her eyes.
"Yes." He replied with his brows furrowed in confusion and concern. The sight of Cygnus crying and raging after her departure,screaming at him over and over again that Andromeda was not his daughter and Alphard should stop telling him otherwise was still kind of fresh in his mind.
He had locked her door with wards and removed every picture of her from the house,making it seem as if him and Druella had never had more than two daughters. That reaction had made him sigh in resignation.
To think that for his brother and sister, their beliefs were more important than their family was a horrifying yet true thought.
Andromeda shakily nodded once more,wiping the tear from her cheek that had fell down despite her attempts to not cry. Poor girl must miss her parents. Cygnus had loved her immensely,what with her being his favourite and all.
"So that means I have no father to walk me down the aisle on my wedding? Unless you think you can convince him?"
Alphard closed his eyes and shook his head,the movement physically paining him to do so. No matter how much Cygnus might miss her,his anger at her 'betrayal' was stronger. Nothing he said would change that. Maybe in a year or so, but at the moment the wound was too fresh.
"Yeah,that's what I thought." She laughed,her voice breaking. "Oh dear,do you miss your father? Is that why you called me?" He asked,already moving to comfort her. He slung an arm around her shoulder and gave her a one armed hug,his other hand running it's fingers through her still slightly damp dark brown hair.
"No,well yes,I do miss him but that's not why I called you." She informed him,moving out of his arms and sitting straight. "So you see,I have no father to walk me down the aisle. It would be weird if Ted's father did it,considering it's his son's wedding.
So I was wondering,Uncle Alphard,if you would do me the honour of giving me away. You're the next best thing after my father,no?" She asked,staring at him intently.
Alphard froze as he heard her request. It shouldn't have come as a surprise,but it did. It had been obvious where she had been going with this conversation but Alphard still hadn't realised.
Should he accept this request? Could he accept this request?
Oh Merlin, if Cygnus found out he would be so mad at him. He couldn't do that to Cygnus,he was the one person who Alphard was sure actually cared about him in the Family other than the kids. How betrayed his little Cygnet would feel?
But on the other hand,he himself had said that he would have nothing to do with his middle daughter at all. Besides,didn't Andromeda deserve this? She had admitted on multiple occasions that he was like a second father to her. Should she walk down the aisle alone just for falling in love with the lovely Mr Tonks?
That was one thing his relatives refused to understand. You have no control over the people you love. Like how no matter how much Cygnus and Druella may claim otherwise, they could never hate Andromeda.
Back to the matter at hand,it seemed that the choice came down to two factors. Who's feelings did he care about more? His lovely little brother who never quite stopped hero worshipping his older brother or his beautiful niece who loved him like a father and was giving him the biggest honour a man could receive?
"Meda" he began after a few minutes,watching as she perked up and directed all her attention on him and hopeful Sliver eyes met cautious Copper ones. "Look dear, I'm sorry but no,I won't." He told her and watched as her eyes filled with tears. Her shoulders slumped and she looked away,presumably to hide the fact that she was crying. Which didn't really matter because her shoulders shaking was enough indication that she was.
"It's okay,if you don't want to" she assured him,voice wavering.
He couldn't help but let out a chuckle at her reaction. Andromeda tensed before standing up enraged. She turned to glare at him.
"WHAT'S SO FUNNY?" She screamed. Alphard's fond smile only widened. She definitely had inherited the Black temper.
As Andromeda saw him smile,her expression worsened.
Oh,if looks could kill.
"What's funny my dear Meda," he began in a calm voice. "Is that you didn't let me finish before jumping to conclusions. You remind me of your father in that aspect."
He grabbed her wrist and pulled her down. Andromeda yelped at the sudden movement.
"No,I will not 'give you away' like you are some worthless object to be traded. You are your own strong independent woman,Andromeda Mimosa Black. However,I will be more than willing to walk you down the aisle to the start of your new life."
Andromeda stared at him in shock,gaping. He laughed again at her reaction,shoulders shaking with mirth. The sound of his laughter snapped her out of her shocked and she glared at him before swatting him repeatedly on the arm.
"Uncle Al,you're such a meanie. A downright twat. How could you make me think that you didn't want to." She whined,embracing him and burying her face in his shoulder. He fondly smiled before he returned the hug.
"Thank you so so so so so much, Uncle Alphie. Don't know what I'd do without you." She mumbled into his ear.
He didn't reply,just started rubbing soothing circles in her back,making her sigh and melt into the hug.
"Thank you so much. I love you."
"I love you too,my dear Meda."