Snape's Daughter (Book Three)

Chapter Six : The Disgrace

"So how has everything been? I understand that you probably don't know me that well, but I appreciate you making the effort to see me given the circumstances," Andromeda said, feeding Teddy a small piece of chocolate as they settled down at a table in the Three Broomsticks.

"Don't be ridiculous, after all that you did for me last year when I... we needed a place to stay. I owe you a favour and whatever the circumstances are, I wouldn't miss a chance to see Teddy," Ellia said, watching the little boy devour the chocolate. The way that his hair hung over his face and he sported similar brownish ginger locks as his father at this point of time. Ellia, of course, knew that much like his mother changed her face, he often changed his hair colour.

"He's developing and growing fast, and reminding me more and more of his parents. It's upsetting, truly upsetting. But I suppose life goes on. As long as he knows that he is loved and cared for, I want the best for him," Andromeda sighed, pulling back his hair as he smiled up at her.

"I see Remus in him a lot," Draco said, speaking up since they sat down in the pub. Ellia looked over to her boyfriend, passing him a small smile before looking back at Teddy.

"I have to say, you're right," Ellia said, as the little boy continued to send smiles to everybody in the pub. She'd already met and faced little Marley, who had hair like Fred yet a beautiful face like Aurora, and now she's face to face with a Remus miniature, "He's reincarnated in his son." Both Ellia and Andromeda chuckled, before sighing.

"My Nymphadora would be so proud of her son, he's everything she would've wanted in a child," Andromeda said, as Madame Rosetta placed down three butterbeers on the table.

"Thank you," Ellia dismissed her, picking one up and slowly taking a sip from the bitter drink. Suddenly, Teddy let out a huge scream which filled the pub. Turning to look at the boy, Ellia watched as Andromeda checked his nappy.

"Suppose I better go and change this little one," Andromeda said, pulling out a bag from inside her own handbag.

"I'll do it," Ellia volunteered, as Andromeda passed her a crying Teddy.

"Are you sure? I can come and help out and..."

"I'll be fine. How hard can it be?" Ellia asked, hanging the bag over her and shoulder and wandering off to the toilets. Left in a pool of silence, Draco couldn't help but stare at his aunt, an aunt he never knew but had only heard of. She was strikingly familiar to his late aunt Bellatrix, though visually more gentle, especially in her tone of voice. He knew why they didn't speak beforehand, and he knew that Bellatrix had killed Tonks. His mother had spoken of Andromeda beforehand, when he was younger. She spoke such kind words of her sister yet told Draco of how much of a blood traitor she was - although his father may have influenced it.

"Your mother," Andromeda said, breaking the silence between the pair, "How is she, well you know, coping?" Draco sighed, remembering how she had been so distraught and stressed over the years previous events, and his father being on trial. She was still fighting for him to be freed.

"Not well, not well at all," Was all Draco replied, afraid to give away too much information.

"She was never an unkind person, your mother. She kept her peace with people, and isn't a bad person," Andromeda said, surprising Draco. His mother, the Death Eater? He knew those words weren't true, but did her older sister really know that? They hadn't spoken in years. Marley sat beside Draco, twiddling her hair in her fingers as the pair talked. She had no idea what was going on, and hardly knew the two of them. She'd fallen asleep in Ellia's arms on the way to the pub and then slept on her lap, before waking up when Teddy started crying.

"She misses her family, there is only me and Ellia now," Draco said, as Andromeda reached across the table and handed Marley some chocolate. She devoured it at once, not leaving a single spec around her little mouth.