Comments | stoatshead_hill: RP: Paranoia Strikes Deep

shh_ted in stoatshead_hill

RP: Paranoia Strikes Deep

Apr 04, 2007 16:03

Date: 4 April, 2005
Characters: Ted, Andromeda
Location: 111 Albus Ave.
Status: Private
Summary: Ted was left to his own devices last night. Bad choice.
Completion: Complete

( Ma'am, exactly where were you yesterday between the hours of five and nine pm? )

ted tonks, place: private residence, april 2005, andromeda tonks

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shh_andromeda April 4 2007, 23:48:49 UTC

Andy came breezing through the door after work, her mind already intent on dinner. She gave Ted, who was sitting at the kitchen table, an absent kiss hello on her way to the kitchen. "How was your day love?" she called out lighting the gas stove, pulling out meat and vegetables while the pots and pans needed soared out of their cabinets with a flick of her wand. "Did you get any more wood working done? Oh and while you're at it could you make me a new spoon? I know I can buy one in Exeter or at the market and it's pretty menial for your skill level, but I loved my old spoon you made and it's starting to crack."

shh_ted April 5 2007, 00:10:56 UTC

He'd just gotten his restlessness under control and taken a seat when she walked in.

She seemed cheerful. He expected her to make some mention of her previous evening, or ask about his, but no. Not a word. Not about who she'd seen, or where she'd gone. And then she wasn't even letting him answer her questions but distractedly racing off onto a topic that had nothing to do with anything...

Why was she avoiding the subject?

An answer to her question had already formed in his mind, but when he opened his mouth to speak, what came out was, "So you got home late, didn't you?"

shh_andromeda April 5 2007, 00:19:35 UTC

Andy felt her spine stiffen at Ted's sarcastic and semi-confrontational question. She set her knife and carrot down and turned toward him, wiping her hands on her apron as she did so. "Yes, I did. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be out so late. Time sort of ran away with me," she replied, leaning against the counter, unconciously crossing her arms over her stomach. "What did you do while I was out?"

He was going to ask, she just knew he was going to ask who she'd been out with and he knew she would be unable to lie to him. It wasn't exactly a huge secret she'd reconciled with her sister, but she'd been reluctant to tell him knowing how he felt about her family.

shh_ted April 5 2007, 00:28:15 UTC

What did I do last night? Exactly what I did today, which was a whole lot of nothing except wondering what you were doing...

"Not much. I got your owl. That was a bit of a short notice, don't you think?" Why was he so upset about this? He shook his head, but the irritation was still there, and apparently it had control of his tongue. "Didn't you think I'd be worried when you didn't get home on time?"

shh_andromeda April 5 2007, 00:43:37 UTC

"That was the whole point behind the owl, so you'd know where I was and you wouldn't worry," Andy replied softly. "It was a very spur of the moment thing, and I hadn't seen her in a while. Again, I'm sorry. I'll try to give you more notice next time." While it irritated her a bit that she had to give him detailed instructions about where she was going, how long she was going to be out, who she was with, she understood how he hated disruptions to their routine.

shh_ted April 5 2007, 03:05:55 UTC

"Well, I did worry. You should have known I would," he pointed out, managing not to sound like a petulant five-year-old as he said it.

Hopefully.

And he couldn't suppress the sigh of relief when he processed that Andy had said she and not he.

Oh, come on, he chided himself. Did you really think it was something like that?

Oh, yes, because it's soooo unreasonable to think that she wouldn't seek out more...satisfying company, the whisper sneered.

She wouldn't do that! Ted snapped back. Great, now he had one more thing to worry about.

shh_andromeda April 5 2007, 03:16:10 UTC

Andy winced at the hurt and censure in his voice. "I'm sorry, that's all I can say. I needed to talk to her, to catch up with her and I thought you'd be all right on your own. I thought you'd might like an evening alone without me breathing down your neck or nagging you to do your journaling," she said softly. "But I had a good time, and I'm not sorry about that."

shh_ted April 5 2007, 03:53:45 UTC

Don't be an idiot about this. She's done nothing wrong, so stop acting like she did, he told himself.

He pushed his chair back and stood, taking in the slightly defensive stance of his wife, and his anger slowly began to drain away. "I'm the one who needs to apologize, love." Three strides removed the distance between them and then his arms were around her. "You're right, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm just...I don't know. Forget I said anything."

"Now," he murmured into her hair, "tell me all about it. Who did you see? Do I know her?"

shh_andromeda April 5 2007, 04:05:22 UTC

Andy leaned into his touch, laying her forehead against his shoulder, sighing softly in momentary bliss. It felt good to just be in his arms, willingly held because he wanted to hold her. And then had to ask.

She willed herself to remain relaxed in his arms and not stiffen away. "Oh, just an old friend," she murmured, turning her head and burying her face in his neck. "And yes you know her."

shh_ted April 5 2007, 04:17:23 UTC

He brushed his lips against her hair, determined to make up for his inexplicable fit of temper. "If she's an old friend of yours, she'd be an old friend of mine as well, then. Who is it?"

He tried to think of when had been the last time he just sat and talked with friends...months ago, apparently.

"Maybe you could invite her over. I think...it might be good for me to see some friends, stop hiding in here like a hermit."

shh_andromeda April 5 2007, 04:23:59 UTC

A little tendril of fire shot its way down into Andy's stomach at the feel of Ted's lips against her. It was such an innocent touch, but one that thrilled her nonetheless. "No, I wouldn't say she's an old friend of yours," she murmured. She wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed softly.

"Honestly, you probably . . . won't want to have her over for dinner. And actually I need to start on dinner. I don't particularly feel like a sandwich," she said brushing off his enquiries with a smile. She gave his chin a playful kiss and turned back to the stove. Oh she knew that the subject hadn't been dropped, but she sure hoped that it was. She was pretty good at wishful thinking.

shh_ted April 5 2007, 05:14:33 UTC

Something in her tone...well, he wouldn't have said that it rang a warning bell, but it got his attention nonetheless.

"Not a friend of mine?" he asked, frowning slightly as she pulled away from him. The feeling that she was trying to divert him was stronger now, and he was more convinced this time that it wasn't his imagination fueling that impression.

shh_andromeda April 5 2007, 16:22:59 UTC

Andy smiled reassuringly over her shoulder at him. "No. I wouldn't exactly say you're on the best of terms with her, but she's not bad or anything. I won't stop seeing her, just so you know. Before you get that thought in your head," she added with a steely look in her eye before she returned to the carrot.

She chopped it up quickly and efficiently before moving over to the sink to pick up the potatoes that she had set to wash.

shh_ted April 5 2007, 21:01:45 UTC

What kind of an answer was that?

He followed her as she walked away and stood next to her, arms crossed and hip leaning against the side of the counter. "What are you talking about? Why would I want you to stop seeing her? You haven't even told me who "her" is! And you seemed to jump awfully quickly to the idea that I'd react that way, so again, I'm asking you...who are you talking about?"

When she didn't answer right away, he reached down with one hand to take the potatoes out of her grasp and turned her toward him with the other hand. "Andy?"

shh_andromeda April 5 2007, 22:31:14 UTC

She reluctantly relinquished her hold on the potato and turned. Slowly, she tilted her head and looked up at him for a long searching moment. "Ted -" she sighed and took his hand. "Let's sit for this."

His hand felt warm and strong in her own. How would he react to her news? Well, she knew he wouldn't be happy, but would he regress? Would he be thrust back into catatonia? Fear, cold and hard gripped her stomach. She was stuck between a rock and a hard place; if she didn't say anything he'd be hurt and think she didn't trust him and if she did say something, he might regress again.

Sighing, she sat on the couch and turned toward her husband, taking his hand in hers. "I love you and this has nothing to do with us. Ok, maybe just a little to do with us. Ted . . . in October I reconciled with . . . Narcissa. She was the one I had dinner with last night." She sucked in a large breath and held it while she watched his face with trepidation.

shh_ted April 5 2007, 23:05:28 UTC

If he'd stopped to reflect, perhaps he could have tempered his reaction a little better, maybe made some kind of attempt at understanding, since she was so obviously worried about how he would take this bit of news.

Unfortunately, reflection was a full two steps behind shock and distress.

"WHAT?!?" he cried. His hand tightened reflexively, and when she winced he pulled away altogether. "Andy, what the hell are you thinking? Narcissa?? You...you willingly talked with her, a woman who...who cast you off, and married a man who tried to kill us? She was a Death Eater, or as good as one!"

He stared in utter disbelief, breathing heavily as he tried to get his emotions under control, but it was useless. They were too strong, and now panic was rising. All he could get out was a strangled "WHY?"

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