Blackbird

Chapter 36

It was a miracle Ted made it home in one piece after Valentine's day. Things had started out so great. Teresa was such an easy person to be with. It was nice, refreshing. He didn't have to watch himself around her, or worry that something he said would offend her. And she listened, and laughed. It had felt so good to laugh with her.

But after his conversation with Andromeda, he hadn't laughed at all. Teresa had done her best to cheer him up, but he'd drug her down, and the guilt over doing that had only made him feel worse. They cut their date short, in part because they'd ended their night at the Three broomsticks where Ted had a little too much drink, yet another reason to feel guilty.

By the time he made it the common room he wanted nothing more than to collapse into his bed, but he had barely stepped through the entrance when an arm snaked around his.

"We need to talk," Liv whispered, and the next thing he knew he was being drug out the way he had come in. If he hadn't been a little on the drunk side he would have put up a fight, but as it was he was too exhausted to fight off a house elf.

Finally, she flung him inside an empty classroom and slammed the door shut.

"Gulping Gargoyles, Liv," he said, rubbing his arm. "Anyone ever tell you to ask first?"

He probably should have looked at her before he said that, because she looked near ready to explode.

"Don't you dare!" She hissed. Her nostrils were flaring, they only did that when she was spitting mad, and he'd only seen her this mad once before. When Rita Skeeter told everyone that she boinked their entire fifth year class.

But what he'd done to warrant her temper, he hadn't the faintest clue.

"How could you have been so stupid!" She spat out every word, and most of it ended up on his face. He wiped it off with a disgruntled look, but that only set her off even more.

"Honestly, Ted, there are trolls in this world with twice as many brains as you."

"Liv," he said, wincing. He was starting to feel hungover, and her almost-shouting wasn't helping. "What are you going on about?"

"I heard you!" She hissed. "Today. In Honeydukes. With Andromeda Black."

Oh, no. "How much did you hear?" he asked, cringing.

"Enough," she said, eyes blazing. "Andromeda Black? What were you thinking?"

He hadn't. He hadn't been thinking at all, but the last thing he wanted to do was discuss this with Liv. He turned and collapsed into a chair.

Either Liv had managed to calm herself down, or his lack of response had done it for her. Either way, she was no longer screeching when she asked, "How long did it last?"

He bit his lip, not wanting to answer, but he could feel Liv's eyes bore into him. He knew her too well to think she was going to drop this.

"Couple months," he grunted. "We called it off after Christmas Holiday." Out of the corner of his eye he could see Liv doing the math, and realizing that put the start of their relationship right around the time of the dance. Her eyes lit up, like other things were clicking into place, though what that could be he had no idea.

"So that time, when I told you to stay away from her... the two of you were already..."

Ted didn't answer, but that was answer enough. She sighed.

"And Rodolphus? You say he knows?"

"I was in the hallway when he... when Andromeda's and Rabastan's engagement was announced." He was impressed with himself for saying that out loud without choking up. "He didn't like the way I reacted I guess."

Liv's eyes narrowed. "And how did you react?"

Ted shifted uncomfortably. This interrogation was worse than the time he had to explain to Professor Mcgongall why he'd missed turning in four assignments in a row. "They were engaged the whole time we were.... dating, and she didn't tell me."

"I gathered as much." Liv folded her arms across her chest as she stared him down. "Did you expect her to be any different?"

Ted's head snapped up. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Anyone else might have stepped back at the violence of his reaction, but Liv didn't even flinch. Instead she let out a humorous laugh. "You didn't really think she was serious about you, did you?"

When Ted didn't respond, her laughter dried up.

"Merlin's beard, Ted, are you insane?"

Now it was his turn to laugh humorlessly. "Yeah. I am."

Liv stared at him with a twisted face, like she couldn't decide if she was disgusted or pitying. Finally, she said, "She really did a number on you, didn't she? Next time I see that pretentious prat—"

"Don't call her that," Ted snapped without thinking.

Liv stopped in her tracks. Her face was no longer twisted, she'd settled on an emotion. Disgusted. "That's what she is."

It was funny, because just hours ago he'd said similar things to Andromeda herself. But he hadn't meant them, he just wanted to hurt her, and the guilt was eating him up inside. But hearing it from Liv was more than he could take. "You don't know whaat she really is."

"Oh, and you do?" Her voice returned to its screeching volume, though he thought she looked even angrier now than she did before. If that was possible. "She lied to you and used you. She's a good-for-nothing prick who deserves to be—"

It was like something inside him snapped, and he collapsed back in his chair. "Stop, Liv, just stop."

Amazingly, she did. And she stayed quiet for a while. Finally, she whispered. "You really liked her didn't you."

"I was in love with her," Ted rasped. He'd never said that out loud before, but it was true. He knew it was.

Liv's face had changed. Pity had won. "I'm not sure was is the right word."

His heart beat a little faster at her words. He'd been telling himself it wasn't true, and he'd convinced himself it wasn't, but Liv's words sent him reeling back to square one. He'd never been able to hide anything from her. She saw things even he couldn't see.

But she'd also called Andromeda a pretentious prat, which, no matter how bitter he was feeling, he would never say was true. So, clearly, Liv didn't know everything.

"Doesn't matter now," he said, pushing these thoughts away. "We're through." And that, he knew, was true.

But Liv wasn't finished. "You have to stay away from her."

"I'm not an idiot," Ted spat.

"You could've fooled me," she hissed, her tone matching his. He glared at her and then strode toward the door.

"Ted, wait." He stopped, even though he didn't want to. She sighed, and for a minute he thought she was going to apologize, which was entirely unlike her.

"I just don't want to see you hurt," she said. "Anymore than you already are."

And he knew she meant it. She'd always been looking out for him, even when he didn't want her to. It wasn't something he could change, and he would never want to.

"I know." He offered her a half-smile, which she returned, and then he left.