A/N: You all were supposed to get this chapter days ago, and I swore I published it, but alas, I come back to my last update being on Christmas. Oh well. I guess, here it is now!

...

"The way you make time disappear
I hope that I find you, my dear"

Andromeda would be lying if she didn't admit that she was nervous for the pending arrival of a certain letter. The multitude of things that Quinn could say in the letter was what weighed her down.

She worried that she had crossed a line somewhere, maybe Quinn's kindness to younger Andy didn't extend to older Andy. Quinn was well into her adult life now, and she was probably really busy. (What she didn't know is that Quinn had become so bored with her life that Andy's letter was the most exciting thing to happen to her in weeks.)

Not only that, but Andy had yet to tell her friends about Quinn. It felt different somehow. She didn't have many good memories from her early years at Hogwarts, and Quinn is in some of the only ones she has. In a sense, she had been protecting them from everyone else for so long that it didn't feel natural to share.

However, it seemed that Quinn herself would tell them about her letter.

At the Hufflepuff table, Andromeda ate breakfast next to Ted, across from Henri and Ben. They loaded English muffins with jam, drinking pumpkin juice as the sun rose outside.

"And then we made these rainbow bracelets," Jack held up his arm and pulled Henri's up too while she held a fork stabbing sausage.

Andromeda smiled at the rainbow braided bracelets as Henri pretended not to care, but she could tell it meant a lot to have someone she could talk about her sexuality with that actually understood. As much as Andromeda could sit and listen, maybe offer some advice, she didn't have the same experiences as Henri did in that respect.

Their focus shifted from their friends latest self discoveries when Ben sat down at the table next to Henri. With a quick kiss on the cheek to Henri, he began to fix himself a plate of eggs without noticing the subtle shift in the group.

Andromeda had questioned Henri a few nights ago about him, asking why her friend had become less smitten. Henri cited that she still cared for Ben a great deal, but the novelty had worn off and revealed some incompatibility.

"It's not that I don't care for him—I do, a whole lot," Henri whispered, swallowing thickly. "It's just, I don't feel like I can be as open with him as I can with you three."

Her words circulated Andy's head as an owl dropped a letter onto her plate. She flipped it over, not noticing Ted's eyes watching her curiously. Nearly gasping, Andy had to read the return address more than once to make sure she wasn't making it up.

Quinn McKinnon
100 Hollow Lane
London, ENG

"Who's it from, Andy?" Jack asked, his voice muffled as he spoke through food.

Henri elbowed him and gave him a napkin.

"Quinn!" She answered, excitedly tearing into the envelope.

"Quinn?" Ted asked to no one in particular. "Do you know a Quinn?"

Henri shrugged in response as Ted and Jack continued to look bewildered. Andromeda ignored her friends' confused looks and read the letter through a few times.

Dear Andromeda,

You've got the right gal! As much as Slughorn might be a pain sometimes, his alumni program is super helpful and I made sure to give him my info more than once.

Anyway, I'm super happy to have heard from you, and I'm sorry to hear you're in a rough patch. I would love to meet up for lunch or a coffee over your break.

And writing to me wasn't odd at all! Our brief friendship was very important to me, and I appreciate you reaching out.

Your friend,
Quinn

"Dromeda? Who's Quinn?" Ted asked again, breaking Andy's tunnel vision towards the letter.

"She was the—um—head girl our first-year," She began to explain, folding the letter and putting it back into the envelope. "She was a Slytherin, and I got her contact from Slughorn."

"Good ole, Sluggy," Jack mused, a reminiscent grin on his face.

"So, what'd she say?" Henri asked, trying to figure out more than what Andy had told them.

"She said we could meet up for lunch or something over summer," Andy spoke smiling softly, attempting to push her negative thoughts of summer away.

"Oh, that's nice of her," Henri prompted, still trying to get more from her.

"Yeah, she was always very kind to me, and felt more like a big sister than Bella did sometimes," Andromeda trailed off like she normally did when she brought up Bellatrix.

Ted patted her back affectionately as the subject was changed to what else would happen over the summer. It was only the beginning of April, but the thought of relaxing at home after their exams kept most going.

Andromeda purposely made sure to fade into the background as Ben started to talk about some fancy vacation he was going on with his older brother. She stared off into space, thinking about what a disaster her last summer was.

Of course, it had been one of the best summers she could recall, but then again, it wasn't a tall order to beat the memories of her past. Thoughts of hurting August and seeing Cygnus wither away in front of her eyes, to Druella dealing with her pain in unhealthy ways, evaporated when Ted gently tucked her hair behind her ear.

"So, are you hoping for head girl next year, Dromeda?" Ted asked, barely being heard over Jack and Henri's argument about seagulls.

She laughed and shook her head.

"I'm just hoping for a good last year," she answered honestly. "What about you, Cap? Are you ready for your last round of quidditch?"

"Well-"

"I cannot hold this in any longer, Ted! I feel as though I'll explode!" Jack said abruptly, listening harder to their conversation than they had thought. "He's gotten professional offers!"

Henri gasped and promptly dropped her fork. Andromeda shoved Ted over on the bench.

"And you didn't think to tell us?" She asked, laughing softly at Henri's surprise.

"I didn't want to make a big deal about it because I'm not taking any of them," he said as Jack rolled his eyes. "I know what you're thinking, Jack, but that's not what I want-"

"Fine, whatever, we've still got Moreau here we can count on to make us famous," Jack shrugged as Henri smiled proudly at the praise.

"I've got to focus on the match at hand," Ted told them. "Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw tomorrow!"

"It should've been us," Henri sighed disappointedly.

"You'll get 'em next year," Ben said with a shoulder squeeze.

Henri just grimace-smiled at him in response.

...

Andromeda had gone to very few quidditch matches in her time, and her favorite part of the whole thing was how much energy flew around the air. It was unrivaled, she agreed, how your team scoring made you feel a sense of pride—especially, if you knew the player that did so.

As Andromeda knew the two beaters on the Hufflepuff team, she wouldn't feel more pride than one would if somebody scored. However, if they managed to hit the bludgers in a particularly fantastic fashion, she would cheer just a little louder than everyone else.

As excited as everyone else was for the match, she could tell Ted was not as pumped to enter the pitch. He walked quietly beside Andy as they waited for Jack to catch up with them—he had left his goggles or something at the breakfast table.

Andromeda and Ted's hands brushed against one another's as they walked, a silent reminder of the care that resided in each of their hearts. After a few rounds of painstaking contemplation, Andy took his hand in hers and squeezed it in quiet reassurance.

"You're going to do great," Andy said softly, stopping just outside of the castle's doors.

"I hope so," Ted replied, sighing like he was an old man with too many regrets to count.

She leveled him with a look, which made him huff out a laugh and turn his eyes towards the ground.

"I really do like my jumper on you," Ted said abruptly, putting a blush on Andy's cheeks. "I think it looks better on you than it does me actually."

That morning, Andy had admitted to herself she looked quite pretty. A pair of muggle jeans that Henri's mother had sent for Christmas, Ted's quidditch jumper, and two plaits—courtesy of Henri—weaved down her back, made her look put together.

When she ran into her sister earlier, the look of surprise clearly meant that she hadn't recognized Andy.

"Well, I suppose I must keep it then," Andy shrugged, smiling as she did so.

She thought about how Tonks shined across her back like it was a natural thing, and how she rather liked it.

...

She left the edge of her seat—standing wasn't quite enough either, and Andromeda found herself bouncing with the energy that presented itself in and around her.

As a Slytherin in the Gryffindor stands—Henri had told her nobody would notice, but she had definitely gotten some looks—she probably ought to draw less attention to herself. However, all of this was lost when Ted got hit in the arm by a bludger.

Andromeda wasn't sure that was entirely legal, and called into question the integrity of a penalty not being called. Ben urged them to calm down, but Henri was just as miffed.

Despite his wrist being clearly broken, Ted continued to wack bludgers around as the match continued. Andy could tell he was not alright by the way he carried himself, and it irritated her that she couldn't do anything about it, but she just decided she'd pout in the stands until something else happened.

The score had been 70-50 in favor of Ravenclaw for some time. It was an extremely close game with the chasers being on offense one moment and then having the quaffle stolen from them the very next one.

Just as Andy was beginning to think a timeout was in order, two players jetted past their stands, drawing everyone's attention to them. It was a race for the snitch.

The stands grew louder as both seekers inched closer and opened their hands. Andy and Henri started jumping, yelling whatever random phrases came to mind. The Hufflepuff seeker—Luella—surged forward just as it seemed that Ravenclaw had the edge and secured the win for Hufflepuff.

Henri and Andy screamed in unison, throwing their heads back with laughter before running towards the players onto the field. Although, Andromeda only had one on her mind.

She practically sprinted over to Ted, skidding to a halt when she reached him so that she wouldn't injure his arm further. Immediately worrying over him, she began to fret over him.

"Is your arm okay?" Andromeda asked, scoffing at herself right afterwards. "Well, of course, it's not because you were hit by a bloody bludger."

"I'm fine, Dromeda-"

"Say that to the bruises that formed! Really, Ted! You should've called a timeout or something to wrap it-"

"Dromeda-"

"No, I'm being serious! How you expect me to watch this beats me!" She said, taking an exaggerated breath. "I was worried you wouldn't be able to hold onto your broom and the bat!"

"I just used my knees."

"You what?" She blanched as he scratched the back of his neck.

"I just held onto the broom with my legs," Ted said slowly like that would make the impact less.

Andromeda smacked his non injured arm.

"What is wrong with you?" She asked seriously. "Do you know how high up you were? You could've died!"

"Well, I'm still alive-"

"-hardly-"

Ted gave her a look and she returned it.

"You're sure you're okay?" Andromeda asked, the worried tone returning.

"Yes, Dromeda, Poppy'll fix me up, good as new," he replied, smile gracing his features.

Without any warning, she threw herself at him for a hug, careful not to hurt his bad arm. He accepted it with an "oof" and a laugh that continued as she started to talk about how great the Hufflepuff team did.

She buried her head into his shoulder before he decided it would be a good idea to spin her in a circle—with one arm, of course.

"Ted, your arm!" She practically screeched.

Jack and Henri rolled their eyes from a few feet away as Ted just laughed in response.

"Idiots," they spoke in unison.

...

Andromeda found a new appreciation for Madam Pomfrey as she criticized the dangers of quidditch. The witch was quite young to be the Hogwarts Matron, but Andromeda respected her for her quick thinking and diagnosis.

Within a few seconds of walking into the hospital wing, Ted was ushered to a bed where she started to work on his arm. Andy, Henri, and Jack stood idly off to the side until she told them fifteen minutes later that they could go see him.

"So, Ted, what's the word?" Jack asked.

Ted sat upright on the bed, his arm wrapped in a heavy amount of bandages. It was also tied up into a sling.

"She's making me stay overnight because there could be long-lasting damage since I kept playing," Ted explained, looking annoyed.

"Told ya you weren't fine," Henri shook her head at him as the three of them sat in the visitors' chairs.

Ted sighed.

"Can't believe you have to miss the after party," Jack remarked, which made Henri flick his arm.

"Have some sympathy!" She chided him.

They all stayed quiet for a few moments.

"Just because I have to miss it, doesn't mean you should too," Ted nearly muttered.

Before Andy can even protest, Jack jumps up from his chair with a grin.

"Knew you'd understand, buddy," Jack said, saluting the three of them before marching out.

Ted laughed, but stopped when he got an unimpressed look from Andy.

"You two should go too," Ted said finally, which caused Andy and Henri to share a look. "What? I mean it. Don't go missing out-"

"Ted, it's not an inconvenience to stay here with you," Henri replied as Andy nodded along. "Even still, if you're trying to get us out of here-"

"No, I'd just feel bad if you were to miss it just to stay here with me," Ted sighed.

Andromeda could honestly care less whether or not she went to the party. She reckoned Ted cared more that she went than she did.

"Alright, well I'm glad you're okay," Henri said as she shifted closer to the door. "Awesome work on the field."

She hesitated before looking to Meda.

"You coming, Andy?"

"In a second, I'll meet you there," she said quietly, still in her chair.

Henri left without another word otherwise.

"You should-"

"So you've said," Andy interrupts him, a small smile appearing on her face. "I'll go, but I'm coming right back here afterwards."

"What? You can't-"

"Filch and Norris have nothing on me," Andy shrugged off his concerns and smiled as he continued to protest.

"It'll be way past curfew-"

"See you later," Andy singsonged out the door, but not before winking.

...

In hindsight, she probably should've changed out of the Hufflepuff Captain's quidditch jumper since she was trekking straight into his common room. However, her apparel didn't present as problematic until after she already got there.

She mingled with some acquaintances from class before being saved by Jack, who was the man of the hour as he was the Captain's right hand man. So, she ultimately finds herself people watching in a corner, wishing she had put up more of a fight and was still in the hospital wing with Ted.

That thought is only reinforced when Luella comes up to her. Of course, there's less tension between them than when she was dating Ted, but as their relationship only ended around a month ago, it was still awkward—especially since Ted's last name was currently displayed across Andy's back, and Luella had never been offered the jumper.

"Nice jumper," Luella said, drawing attention to the elephant in the room.

"Oh, uh—thanks I," Andromeda stumbled over her words, not expecting this interaction.

"It's fine," Luella waved her off with a smile. "You two are cute."

"Oh, we're not-"

"But you will be," Luella cut her off, and Andy felt even more awkward now.

"And you're, okay with it?" Andy asked cautiously, treading lightly.

Luella nodded in response as she gathered herself. Andromeda appreciated her bluntness.

"Yeah," she said, brushing her curls over her shoulder. "Of course, I was sad when Ted and I didn't work out, but you learn to move on."

She wasn't really sure how to continue, and was so very glad that she had befriended Henri, who showed up for the first time that night right when she was needed. Casually, she slung an arm over Andy's shoulders.

"Hey, Luella," Henri greeted her cheerfully, no somber tones of the hospital wing left in her voice. "What's going on?"

"Oh, just chatting," she replied, smiling as she couldn't tell how uncomfortable Andy had gotten.

Their saving grace, Henri's favorite song, Green-eyed Lady, by Sugarloaf, sounded more like angels in their eyes than normal.

"Green eyed lady lovely lady
Strolling slowly, towards the sun..."

"So sorry to cut this short, but this is so important," Henri said excitedly, pulling Andy away as Luella laughed them off.

"That couldn't have been more painful," Andy whispered in Henri's ear as they claimed a spot in the corner of the room.

"Green eyed lady, ocean lady
Soothing every raging wave that comes..."

The party around them continued as their conversations floated underneath the music. Not an ounce of the sound around them, bothered their newfound reverie.

It was just Henri and Andy against the world, and Jack if they could ever get him away from the center of the party.

...

Her head a buzz with happiness, she crept quietly through the corridors, hoping to Merlin she didn't run into Mrs. Norris. The trip was surprisingly short for how painstaking every step seemed to be as she couldn't spare a sound.

She hadn't even thought about what she would do if the door was locked, her only thought being of Ted. As it was later than she anticipated, the surprise she felt when the door wasn't locked was real.

After peering through the open door around the dark hospital wing, and she found that Madam Pomfrey was nowhere in sight, Andy walked quickly over to where she new Ted to be. Pulling back the corner, she found him nearly sleeping on the bed.

She accidentally startled his half-awake state. Stifling a laugh behind her hand, she moved towards the chair next to his bed.

"Didn't think you'd actually show up," he said, yawning.

"Why not?" She asked, gritting her teeth to contain the smile threatening to appear because of his disheveled hair.

He shrugged in response and yawned again, covering it with a sheepish look.

"So, what's your grand plan then? To sleep on that chair?" Ted asked, amused as she looked around.

Not a spare pillow or blanket for her to use for herself, Andy scratched her head in thought. She really didn't think any of this through. Ted kept just looking at her like the whole thing entertained him.

"I guess so," she said finally. "I mean, I could transfigure-"

"Dromeda, that'll kill your back, and then you're going to be in the hospital wing," Ted interrupted, rolling his eyes playfully.

"It'll be fine because I'll be next to you," Andy said boldly, even surprising herself as her words were followed with a blush.

Ted looked at her fondly, and she nearly had to look away.

"Join me here," Ted proposed, scooting over to create room on the bed he was in.

Her eyes nearly bugged out of her head. Andromeda had thought about and been teased about things like this by two specific individuals, but never had she thought it would actually happen. And now that it had, how was she supposed to react?

Initially, her brain went of course, Ted! I thought you'd never ask! She quickly chided herself when remembering she was at Hogwarts, her school! Why was she even breaking their rules by being in the hospital wing in the first place? What would Poppy do when she found her here in the morning?

Instead of really responding to him, she turns her gaze to the floor, smiling and shaking her head longingly.

"C'mon, there's plenty of room for both of us," Ted said, interrupting her thoughts and drawing her attention back to him, not that it could ever leave him for that long in the first place.

She regarded the chair again thoughtfully, telling herself that it was actually that uncomfortable and the bed Ted was in was the better option, but not only because Ted was in it. Besides, when had she ever indulged herself before, and Luella basically gave her approval, so that was good, right?

Sighing, she unclasped her shoes, painstakingly slow, it felt like, and dared her heart to stop beating so fast as she climbed under the covers next to Ted. He might've been stretching the truth quite a bit when he said there was enough room for the both of them, she realized. She didn't mind being so close that she could see his every eyelash and count his freckles though.

It was invigorating.

"Good night, Dromeda," Ted whispered.

She smiled, watching his eyes flicker to her lips for half a second.

"Night, Ted," she whispered back.

That night, her stars shining into the hospital wing, Andromeda got the best sleep she had gotten her entire life. She'd relay that news to Henri the next morning, telling her it was well worth the detentions both received.

Waking up with her head on his chest, his arm resting on her hip above the covers, was single-handedly the reason her smile was unbreakable through the rest of term.

...

1st Song: Dear Patience
By: Niall Horan

2nd Song: Green-eyed Lady
By: Sugarloaf

One bed trope? Say less!!

Biiiiigggg chapter for tedromeda!! I love them so much and can't wait to see them together! Not the slow burn even killing me lmao.

I'm actually so incredibly excited for Quinn's storyline! I wasn't planning on incorporating her at all, but I think Andromeda needs some more older influences to learn from.

I completely made up Quinn's address, so no, that's not a real place in London. Also, I don't know if people in England write their addresses the same way that we do in America, so it could be completely wrong lmao.

I haven't written much about Henri's sexuality, just in an earlier chapter (6- Henri's Dorm Mates) and I apologize for that because representation is so important! So, I'm going to try to have her and Jack have some featured conversations in the feature about their queerness.

Of course, bisexuality wasn't coined as a term to refer to yourself when you liked more than one gender in 1970. (Originally, it was used to describe what is now called Intersex!) However, I think that with or without the label, Henri's character can still explore this.

Lmao anyways thanks for reading
-teddy xx