The End of the Beginning

Disclaimer: The characters here and the world they inhabit are the creation and property of JK Rowling and her assigns.

Ted's first thought as he woke was that it was Saturday, and he was glad he wouldn't have to work. Before he even opened his eyes, he became aware that the light in the place he was differed from that of the bedroom in his flat. The bed was different, and the sheets were softer. As he realized that there was a soft form clasped within his arms, it all came flooding back.

He opened his eyes and could only see shades of brown. There was a very pale brown in some places that could almost be called blond, there was a shade of dark chocolate, and it seemed there was every tone of mahogany, coffee, or hazelnut in between. It was relentless, the way her hair had worked itself around his face, between his lips, around his throat, and everywhere else. He raised a hand to extricate himself and gently pushed it back toward its own head.

She stiffened beside him in fear as his motions woke her. She looked up at him warily and then shyly smiled. After that, she slid away from him and pulled the sheet around her as she sat up. She knew he had seen it all in the dark, but it wasn't the same. Her hair tried to settle in a cloud around and in her face, so she pushed it back.

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning."

"It wasn't a dream, after all. Are you disappointed?"

"No."

He smiled broadly. "Neither am I."

"If it was a dream, I would still be engaged to Rabastan."

"Oh." Of course, their marriage was entirely to keep her out of Lestrange's grasp. He could feel himself going cold.

Her cheeks took on a pink hue as she took a deep breath. "And if it was a dream, I wouldn't have had that incredible experience with you last night."

His blood went flooding back to several places that now became quite warm. "You enjoyed it, then?"

She looked at him shyly. "Yes."

"I'd like to, that is, would you like to, er, what if we..."

She slid closer to him on the bed. "Yes, I would. Like to, that is."

He pushed her hair back and started kissing her. When he tugged at the sheet, she claimed modesty, so he let it go and simply kissed her. There was much he wanted to do and now a lifetime to do it in. With his hands he stroked the outline of her face and slid his fingers into her hair. After a while, he slid his lips to her chin and then her throat.

She held the sheet with one hand as she braced herself on his shoulder with the other. His skin was soft, and she ran her hand all along the one shoulder up to his neck and back. Her actions were a bit mechanical, because Ted was doing something with his lips along her collarbone that made her weak.

By the time his lips moved lower, she grasped his other shoulder with the hand holding the sheet. She moaned as the sheet fell, and Ted availed himself of the opportunity to look at her. Her soft skin was already pink because of his kisses, but she flushed darker under his gaze. He looked at her for a moment and then gently brushed a curl of hair away from her eye.

"Did I say pretty? I was completely wrong. You're beautiful, Andromeda." He bent down and used his fingers and mouth in ways that caused her to arch her back. Her own hands moved around his shoulders to caress and hold his head to her. She kissed the top of his head, loving the silky feel of his hair as it slid between her fingers.

"Oh, Ted," she whispered as a string of words, sighs, and whimpers started to erupt from her. A delicious ache started within her as her body slid against his, looking for something she didn't really understand, yet. Her movements became more intense and her moans more insistent. He reclaimed her mouth as their bodies became one and she moaned more loudly around his lips.

He tried to move slowly, but she was unable. She pushed and slid and arched her body against his. He thought he might regain control when she whispered his name and her legs tightened around him. Control winked at him and left the room. It wasn't long before he was in a place beyond noticing what happened.

They were both breathing heavily. It was all he could do to gently move to her side and put an arm around her middle. "Love you... 'Dromeda..." Did he have the energy to actually say it aloud?

"Oh, Ted, the things you made me feel..."

The next time he awoke, there was a new smell in the room: toast and eggs and tea. Andromeda sat on the love seat at a little table, wrapped in a dressing gown. On her lap was a plate full of breakfast, and her mouth looked all the more delicious for the crumbs scattered on her lips. He sat up. There was a dressing gown for him at the foot of the bed. He tied it on and walked over to his wife. He kissed the crumbs off her lips and she said, "Oh, Ted, really."

He sat beside her and filled his own plate. As he did, he quietly watched her. She was thinking as she had the night before, that pucker between her brows just starting to deepen.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Do you think he would really rather see me dead?"

"Who?"

"Rabastan."

"I don't know. Is that the sort of thing a wizard just says, or do they really mean it?"

"I wish I knew."

He leaned over to kiss that pucker, as he had promised himself he would do if he got the chance, but she backed away from him.

"We should eat our breakfast and perhaps do some things or make plans, before we do any more of that." She looked shyly at the bed.

"That wasn't what I was thinking," he said. "You look so worried. I want to soothe it away." He leaned in and she again leaned away.

"Why shouldn't I be worried?"

"You should be," he acceded. He realized that with the crisis over, she would perhaps be a bit prickly. She probably wasn't used to physical affection. He slid his hand over and placed it on top of hers. Her whole body jumped. After a moment, her hand relaxed and softened under his. He was able to grasp it and slide his fingers between hers.

"I just want to comfort you," he said, "but I don't want to force affection upon you. I'd rather not do something that makes you more uncomfortable."

She looked away. "I'm sorry. I'm horribly new at this, and I'm not used to anyone wanting to just touch me."

He withdrew his hand and started eating. "You're probably thinking that you shouldn't go out in public much, at least for a while?"

She nodded as she looked pensively out the window. "You, too. They might use you to get me to agree to what they want. I know the marriage will be considered valid, now, but I don't know what they will want to do to punish me, besides removing me from the tapestry."

"I'm sorry about that."

"I knew it was coming, and I don't think it would have been a fair trade for touches, but I have to admit it hurts. Suddenly it's like I don't exist any more."

He touched her hand again, and this time she let him. He wrapped his fingers around hers and lifted them to his face, kissing and rubbing her hand against his cheek.

"I shall need to go back to work, but I think we can limit our other exposure." He enjoyed the crunch of the toast and amended his statement. "I will also need to run over to my other flat to pack it up and give up the lease."

"Could I help with that?"

He wiped his mouth and fingers on a napkin and slid his arm around her waist. This time she allowed him to pull her close and even put her head on his shoulder.

"It would be better if you did not. If I were somehow the cause of your death or something else..." He cleared his throat. "I just don't think that's a good idea."

"How will you avoid them catching you? They'll probably be waiting for you at your building."

"I can Apparate directly in and out of my flat. No one else can."

"You can't bring me by Side-along?"

He looked at her. This brought him to the crux of the matter at hand. "Actually, I probably could, but I would rather you not see where I have lived as a bachelor."

"What do you have there you don't want me to see?" she asked, the wrinkle on her forehead growing.

"Nothing at all. I just would rather you not see what a small, run-down place I've been living in."

"Do you think it makes a difference?"

He chuckled. "I'm not entirely sure what to think of you."

"I'm not sure what to think of me, either, but I know I don't want to be away from you."

He sucked in his breath at the implication. "Are you frightened?"

"No, I don't think so. I just want to be with you."

He insisted on pulling her close and kissing the wrinkle away. She let him and started to smile as his lips kissed other parts of her face as well. When he got to her lips, she turned and waved at the table.

"You have some mail. I think it's from the Ministry."

There were two letters on the table. He opened the Ministry scroll and read his boss's terse script:

Tonks,

Anderson

The second was a bit more:

Tonks,

Gideon Prewett

"Dumbledore must have told them all about the wedding. Gideon's note says they'll help us if we need it."

"Let me come with you. I promise I won't turn to dust at the sight of Muggle things, and I can't imagine that there's anything that can make a difference in how I feel about you."

"How exactly is that?" He regretted the question as it left his lips.

Her face was thoughtful. "You're the person I can trust most in this world. I feel safe when you're near me."

"What about your uncle, or Dumbledore?"

"I've been taught since infancy not to completely trust Dumbledore, and I don't know about Uncle Alphard. I don't know where the line between his family loyalties and anti-loyalties lies. For that matter, I don't know where my line is right now. I don't know if I trust myself."

"I trust you."

"I hope you don't ever regret it."

"Somehow I don't think I will."

Ted saw the newspaper on the table and remembered Gideon's comment about it. He picked it up and started scanning the headlines. "Have you read it?" he asked Andromeda.

"Oh," she answered. "I didn't really notice it was there. I was so hungry..." she blushed when she said it and trailed away.

"Gideon Prewett seemed to think we should read it." Ted paged through the paper until he came to one small item on page four.

Socialite Disappears at Lestrange Soirée

Friends will no doubt be distressed to know that Andromeda Black disappeared from the Lestrange estate last night during an affair to celebrate her engagement to Rabastan Lestrange. According to her fiancé, she was kidnapped from the gardens as the two were taking a stroll to get some air. This reporter has learned that the kidnapper battled Mr. Lestrange to the ground and then copied his features before absconding with the young witch. Ministry officials are looking through the records of known Metamorphmagi as this story goes to press.

"Oh," groaned Andromeda into a cushion. "They won't let it go until he has me back. Society expects me to do who knows what, much of which is illegal or at least flat out wrong. When they discover my marriage to a good, noble wizard, they're going to tear me to pieces."

"You think I'm noble?"

"That was a rather Gryffindor stunt last night."

"Was that a Slytherin who took advantage of it, then?"

"We're trained to recognize a good opportunity when we see it."

"I'm glad that I was a good opportunity."

"I can't possibly tell you everything you've become to me in just one sentence, and it's only been twelve hours, Ted." She looked at the article. "I wonder who all these 'friends' are that they assume I have? My parents' friends, no doubt."

"Hush," Ted soothed her. "You're getting all wrinkly again." To prove his point he used his fingertips and lips to ease the concerns from her face. The tie of her dressing gown had relaxed, and the garment gaped open, proving to be too much of an invitation to ignore.

"Please forgive me, but I can't seem to stop myself," he said.

"Oh... please..." she sighed, twining her arms around his neck. They slid down on the love seat and then fell to the floor as their kisses and caresses became more intense.

Some time later she was heard to sigh, "I'm also greatly enjoying the married parts of our relationship."

"That makes two of us."

Ted needed his clothes quickly, so they sent an owl to Gideon as soon as they finished their breakfast. He owled back that some people were available to help in the early afternoon and gave an indication of where to meet. Ted was reluctant to take Andromeda, but she told him that otherwise she would follow and wait for him at the Leaky Cauldron. He considered that the least safe of the options available and finally consented to bring her with him.

"If there's any sort of fighting, I want you to come straight back here. All right?"

He looked so earnest and worried and cute that she had to agree. "I can handle myself, you know."

He kissed her. "I'm sure you can, but we've been practicing dueling and Magical Defense. We're sure their lot have been, too."

"Who, exactly, is 'we'?"

He shrugged. "Dumbledore has a group of us keeping an eye out, watching some things. That's what I was doing the day I saw you at Florean Fortescue's."

She nodded. "And the day I was fitted for my clothes?"

"Yes. I wanted to come in there and carry you off. Then, when I saw you in your wedding robes... Oh, Andromeda, I never dreamed you'd wear them for me."

"I carried the look in your eyes around with me for days. It was the only way I got through the engagement party."

"Was it?"

"It worked, most of the time. I could think to myself that my real fiancé was just in the other room. It was just when Rabastan was near me, and when that...that wizard wanted to talk to me that I couldn't remember you."

"Voldemort spoke with you?"

"He told me he would help me obtain my heart's desire. Then I thought of you. Somehow he saw you, too. It was as if he looked through my mind to find you, and he knew you're Muggle-born."

Ted came back to one point. "I was your heart's desire?"

She smiled shyly. "Yes, you were."

"Then you're fond of me."

"At the very least."

He pulled her close and kissed her, promising himself that he would do a more complete job when they returned from his apartment.

Andromeda found Ted one of Uncle Alphard's older robes to wear over his own trousers and shirt. She dressed in the least flashy robes she had with her, thinking that her mother would never let her into the family home to pull a few things together. She had considered the possibility that she would leave the Lestrange estate only after she'd been married, and so had her entire trousseau with her, but none of her comfortable clothes had been packed. Somehow, she would have to figure out her wardrobe without costing Ted any money.

They walked, hand in hand, through the front garden and out the gate. Ted pulled her close to Apparate. When they arrived in a dark corner near Diagon Alley, he pulled her closer still and kissed her. "This could become my favorite mode of travel," he said. He kissed her again.

"All right, you two, break it up! Do you think this is your honeymoon or something?" They looked up, startled, to see Fabian Prewett standing near by. He laughed and shook hands with Ted. Then he took Andromeda's hand, pulled her close, and kissed her soundly. She pushed away from him and stood close to her husband, who put his arm around her waist. "Don't worry, Mrs. Tonks, I'm just kissing the bride, you know."

"Oh." She would have felt silly and stupid, except she could tell Ted wasn't completely amused, either.

"Well, then, you'll want to get to your flat, Tonks. We've been watching it since last night. No one's been by, even the Ministry. Of course, Moody's been to help watch, and he's with the Ministry. Maybe he's taken care of that end."

He walked them down a street and over to a building. "I'll wait down here. Gideon is up there with Kingsley."

Ted held Andromeda's elbow as they went up the stairs. They walked down a short hallway and came to his door. As they did, two wizards came from the shadows. Ted pushed Andromeda into the doorway and stood in front of her with his wand out.

"Relax, mate, it's us." He relaxed his stance when he saw that it was Kingsley and Gideon.

Kingsley said, "I didn't get a chance to congratulate you last night, Mrs. Tonks."

"I understand completely," she answered. "Thank you, for the congratulations and also for your quick thinking when it all happened."

"You're welcome. It's what I'm trained to do."

Gideon didn't say anything before he snaked his arm around Ted and pulled Andromeda over to himself. He gave her a smacking kiss before she could push him away. "No offense, just kissing the bride," he said.

"That's what your brother told me," she answered, stepping close to Ted as she had before.

"All right, then," said Kingsley. "We should do this as quickly as possible. We haven't seen anyone around here, but there's no telling for sure. Go ahead and take care of what you need, Ted, and then get back to where ever you're staying. I've been told that under no circumstances are you to leave that place until you go to work next Monday."

"I understand," said Ted. He opened the door to the apartment and followed his wife inside.

"Here it is," he said.

"It's not so bad, really," she answered. "It could do with a good cleaning..."

"Housekeeping is not my strong suit."

"Mine, either," she reminded him. "I'll have to force Bennie to teach me some things." She looked around. "Well, what goes and what stays?"

There wasn't much, although Ted was surprised to find that the detritus of his bachelorhood was more significant than he had believed. Andromeda washed and put away the few dishes, which belonged to the flat, and then went to help him with his clothes. She went through the dresser and removed all of the shirts and pants and laid them on the bed. She came upon his Ollivanders box and looked inside it, wondering if he had more than one wand.

"Ted, why do you have two handkerchiefs in here?"

He came to stand by her. "You'll think it foolish."

"I doubt it."

"Well..." He brought her to sit on an area of the bed that wasn't cluttered. "This clean one is the one I lent you at Hogwarts that day, and this other one is from Florean Fortescue's."

She felt something deep within her shift. "You kept it all that time? I just dropped it in the laundry, figuring the elves would know where it went."

"They did, and I've treasured it since then."

Once again she was struck by just how far back and how deep his feelings for her ran. "Ted, I don't know what to say," she whispered. Her lips looked for his and found them.

A blissful moment later he answered her. "That was exactly the right thing to say."

They managed to pack the things Ted should have immediately in two large suitcases that they could carry that day. The half dozen boxes would be brought by other means. Ted looked around the rooms one last time and then at his wife. "I spent so many lonely hours in this flat, Andromeda, and dreamed that I could have a future with you. I hoped and wished for you, and then I learned about Rabastan Lestrange and I went around for three days in a near panic about you. I'm so fortunate."

"I was in a near panic over Rabastan those same days. I'm fortunate, too."

They kissed again, leaning against the door and holding each other tight. It occurred to them that it had been hours since they had finished their breakfast and gotten dressed.

"We can be much more comfortable elsewhere," he said into her hair.

"Oh, yes, I agree."

Ted opened the door a crack and then opened it wider when he saw the Prewett brothers outside. "All right, then?"

"Yes, it's fine. Moody's downstairs."

Andromeda looked from one to the other of the brothers. "I gather you have done a lot for Ted, and I assume much has involved me. Thank you."

Gideon spoke. "It's fine, Mrs. Tonks. We're glad to help and anything that sticks one in the eye of...well, you know...is our pleasure."

Fabian looked at his watch. "We're going to walk with you back down to the alley. It'll just be a group of friends, running errands together."

They emerged from the building and were met by the much-injured Auror. "Ah, you got a pretty one, Tonks."

Andromeda's face turned pink.

"She's the prettiest witch I've ever spoken with, sir."

She could feel her cheeks blazing red at that.

"You get 'er home, then, and stay 'ere till next Monday. I'll find you at the office an' go over your protection."

"Do we really need it, sir?" asked Andromeda.

"Your father and uncle woke the Minister last night and had half the Auror corps out looking for ye. It's what I'm doing now. The Death Eaters won't be by if they think we're doing their work for them." He winked and pinched her cheek. She should have hated it, but somehow she didn't.

She looked at the three of them and at Ted and remembered Kingsley and Dumbledore, too. Who else had been involved in rescuing her from marriage to Rabastan Lestrange? It was a humbling thought.

"Thank you, Mr. Moody. Thank all of you," she said, looking around and including everybody.

The Prewetts walked them back to the dark corner where they would Apparate. Fabian clapped Ted on the shoulder. "Well, Tonks, try to get some rest, this week."

Gideon added, "We won't be surprised if you don't of course."

Andromeda was just turning when she heard Fabian again. "By the way, do you need any advice?"

Several seconds after she arrived outside their front gate, Ted did. "Was it useful?" she asked.

"Was what useful?"

"The advice they wanted to give you."

"On how to please a witch? I think my method of asking the witch in question works much better."

"Oh?"

"Yes, I had to stop and tell them so." He was rewarded with a smile. "Speaking of which," he continued, "would you mind terribly if, after we got these suitcases inside, I reminded myself what is under your robe? Ah, there's a pretty blush."

"You make me feel attractive," she said simply.

"Let's go then."

They went into the cottage and began their honeymoon in earnest.

A/N: Thank you to beta reader Trickie Woo