Blackbird

Chapter 30

Andromeda had never loved Pro. Flitwick more in her life. If it hadn't been for him she never would have learned the heat enchantment, and then she would have died of hypothermia before getting to speak with Ted again.

She pulled her cloak closer as the wind whistled around her. Whether she had a heat source or not this was the kind of cold you could feel in your bones— refreshing and exhilarating, but threatening of destruction.

They didn't have to meet outdoors, she supposed. They could have met in one of the many unused classrooms. But this spot by the lake was where their relationship had started. And after everything they'd been through, it was only fitting that they should meet together here.

She just hoped Ted agreed.

Doing her best to ignore the nervous pit in her stomach, she gazed out over the frozen lake. In the summer time the lake looked like a black diamond, but with the snow reflecting all-around, it was like a slice of heaven. At least how her literature would describe that mystical place.

The sound of footsteps in the crunching snow reached her ears, and she whirled around. Though he was still a few from paces form her, he stopped as soon as their eyes met.

She'd spent hours pondering what she would say when she saw him again, but now that he stood here her mind refused to remember any of it.

Finally, he broke the silence. "Hey."

"Hey," she clenched her teeth at the sound of her own voice. It was raw and terse, not exactly inviting a warm conversation.

Once again, they lapsed into silence, the feet of space between them like canyons.

"Did you have a nice holiday?" She wished her accompanying smile didn't look so forced. What was more, her question had the opposite effect that she'd intended. Rather than opening up, Ted chose to avert his gaze as he merely shrugged.

"And you?" he asked, her gaze fixed determinedly on the tree next to them.

It took her minute to realize what he was asking... she was too focused on him focusing on everything but her.

"Oh? It was..." She thought back to everything that had happened during the party. The gathering she'd witnessed, Bella's confrontation with Rodolphus, her conversation with Rabastan...

None of those, especially the last one, would help her smooth the waters with Ted.

"Uneventful," she said.

"And Rabastan?" His voice was cool, but she didn't miss the way it stumbled over Rabastan's name, "Did he have a good holiday?"

Andromeda let out a long breath. She expected that something like this would come up. Expected, and dreaded.

Tentatively, she took a step forward. "Ted, Rabastan and I... There's nothing going on between us."

"Does he know that?" Came Ted's soft reply.

She'd been expecting a lot of answers from him, but that wasn't one of them. "What?"

"Rabastan," he said slowly, still avoiding her gaze," does he know there's nothing going on between you?"

She was suddenly glad Ted wasn't looking at her, so he couldn't see the way she flushed. She'd be an idiot not to notice something in the way Rabastan looked at her, spoke to her, in the way he held her hand...

But he was her fiancé. He thought it was his right.

Though telling Ted this particular detail would do anything but help her cause, so instead she just shook her head. "Things are just complicated because of our parents."