Blackbird

Chapter Three

Ted Tonks rolled out of his bed and stared at his clock...

It was 7:40...

He sat up straight. 7:40? He told Professor. Kettleburn he'd be down to help him at 7:30. Ten minutes ago.

He leapt out of bed, smacking his head on the frame as he did so. Cursing both his oversleeping and his sore head, he whipped off his night clothes and shrugged on an old ragged pair of jeans and a button up flannel shirt and whipped out the door toward the entrance hall. The hallways were practically deserted. It was a Saturday morning after all, which meant there were no awkward stares to follow him as he raced down the hallways, running like a horde of Inferi were after him.

Professor Kettleburn had recently suffered from a serious accident when he'd been helping some colleagues transport a manticore, and was having a difficult time getting everything ready for his classes. Of course, Ted had said yes when Professor Kettleburn had asked him to help, even when the Professor had asked him to be there at 7:30. In the morning. On a Saturday.

He made his way outside, barely getting to enjoy the feeling of cool morning air on his skin as he raced toward the outdoor pavilion where Professor Kettleburn was standing.

"Sorry Professor," he said, bending over and placing his hands on his knees, breathing heavily. "I overslept."

"It's all right, Mr. Tonks," the professor said kindly, his eyes twinkling. Several parts of his arms were still wrapped in bandages, as was his entire left leg, a couple of sticks that seemed to be serving as crutches were propped under his arms.

"Thank you for coming, I appreciate it." To be honest, he probably could have arrived at noon and the Professor would have been just as forgiving. Not that he would abuse the Professor's kindness like that; he'd just been so distracted lately. And he knew exactly why.

Andromeda Black. He shouldn't be thinking about her. He had no business thinking about her, but he couldn't help it. Ever since that day in charms, it was like her name and face had been plastered to the inside of his eyelids, and every time he closed them there she was. He didn't know what to make of her. Sometimes she made him so angry, like when she blanched at his skin touching hers, or the way she refused to meet his eye or respond to him talking to her. But then he'd remember the fire that would spring up in her eyes when he'd called her a bigot and the way she seemed to cringe when he'd used the word mudblood.

He'd known it was a bad idea to tell Jake to sit in Andromeda's spot, or partner with Susannah so Andromeda would be forced to partner with him, but he hadn't thought anything would come of it. And at first, he'd thought nothing had, but she'd talked to him. All the way towards the Great Hall, where most of her pureblood friends wouldn't have said a word to him because they'd be afraid he'd somehow pollute them with his muggleness. And yeah, it been more of a bicker, but he'd still found himself lying awake in his bed for days after, thinking about their conversation, mulling her words over in his head, remembering her eyes, the shape of her mouth...

"Professor. Kettleburn, where would you like me to set these?"

Oh no. He whirled around.

Andromeda stood behind him, a large crate in her hands, based on the way she froze, her mouth opening, she hadn't known he would be here either. She glanced over him, taking in his disheveled appearance. Ted wasn't one to be self-conscious, but something about those eyes made him distinctly uncomfortable. He probably looked wild with his crumpled clothes and messy bed-head he hadn't bothered to comb. She, on the other hand, looked fantastic. She wasn't wearing her school robes, but robes that looked like they were made out of a dark brown, almost leather-like material. Made for the outdoors, but still impeccably expensive. Her skin didn't look quite so pale in the sun, but maybe that was because her long hair wasn't black, but rather a dark brown like rain-drenched wood, glistening in the sunlight, casting beautiful shadows of red and purple across her face.