scipio minor

𝐈𝐗. 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔡𝔯𝔬𝔭

❛ 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔩𝔞𝔰𝔱 𝔡𝔯𝔬𝔭 ❜
december 1998
THE TONKS HOUSE
⋅ ﹙ ♚ ﹚ ⋅

𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐀 was cooking dinner when Scipio entered the kitchen. Aroma of spices, meat and seasoning spread through the house. Carrying Teddy against his shoulder, Scipio picked from the little tomatoes his aunt was cutting. She wasn't cutting it on her own, the movements with her wand did. Delicate swings or sharp cuts made the pans steer and the knives slice.

"You're dining with us?" Andromeda asked.

Scipio kept Teddy a safe distance from the whole cooking facade. "Only if Ted had cooked," he joked.

"You don't like my meals?" Andromeda pouted.

"Oh no, they're delicious," Scipio grinned through his teeth. "I just like Ted's better."

"No pressure," she muttered.

"Not at all. I can't stay too long anyway," Scipio mentioned. "I already ate at home and I got a meeting with the boys at the Last Drop."

Andromeda's face lightened up. "Is your Zabini protegee gonna be there?"

"No, why?" Scipio fumbled at the hem of Teddy's little shirt.

"He liked my cookies, the family receipt,'' she explained. ''I just baked them this morning. I thought he might like them."

"You should send them to Hogwarts," Scipio advised. "He's still at school. Holidays start in a week or so."

"Mhm," Andromeda sang. "That will do."

Teddy woke up from his slumber and started playing with Scipio's hair, leaving a few burbs now and then.

"He's still full from his dinner," Andromeda claimed. "He missed you by the way. There were afternoons even Ted couldn't calm him down."

Scipio bit back the guilt. In a month or so, he would've been gone longer, maybe never even come back.

"I'm sorry I didn't visit until now,'' he tried to apologise. ''I needed to fix things at home, get used to be there again."

Andromeda nodded in acknowledgment. "I know it's hard, but in the future you'll be glad you went back." Regret slipped through her eyes.

Scipio's mouth went dry. "I actually have a favour to ask you. That's one of the reasons I came actually."

Andromeda turned her back towards him, focusing on readying the meal before her. "Give it away."

"Can you promise me you won't ask questions?" Scipio stressed.

"Sure,'' Andromeda drawled. Quickly she added, ''I'm not gonna like this, am I?"

Scipio grinned. "Depends."

Andromeda mumbled something and continued waving her wand to drop the cut tomatoes into the pan.

Scipio took a deep breath. Here goes nothing. "I want you to put something in the Department of Mysteries. No one needs to know it wasn't there before, but it needs to be found, preferable right after New Year."

Andromeda looked puzzled. "What are you scheming?"

"You promised, no questions,'' he answered.

Andromeda ran a hand through her hair, her grey locks falling on her shoulders like heavy curtains. "I can't put something in the Department of Mysteries without knowing what it is and what you're going to do with it. And not to forget, it's practically illegal."