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Chapter 17– Andromeda.
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Walking through my front door, I turn around and lock it with my key, and then I rest my forehead against the door, letting out a breath. Whether that is of relief or something else, I don't know. I have just had a really, not hard, but it was a day I was not prepared for, and even now, I find it hard to believe that I actually agreed. Of course, nothing is put in the contract yet, nothing is signed, and there is no magical binding, but I still agreed, and if it is as safe as promised and I won't be in danger or taken advantage of, then I will go through with it.
I let out a sigh and mentally shook myself to forget about all that for now and relax. I have a rather urgent task now, which I should have done a long time ago, something which has just been revealed to me even though I should have realised it myself a long time ago.
"...Nymphadora! I am home. Are you here?" I shout out, trying to find the shapeshifting little monster I gave birth to. But, unfortunately, ever since she turned sixteen, she has been more unruly and rebellious and stopped really listening to me, going out and doing whatever she wanted. As a result, I hardly know where she is half of the time, going out to parties and concerts, sometimes leaving in the middle of the night, and we don't discover she is missing until we find her bed empty in the morning or catch her sneaking inside in the early morning.
To make matters worse, she has magic which she can easily use to escape the house and then use her Metamorphmagus abilities to change her looks and then she is gone in the wind. The only way to possibly spot her is if you see someone being abnormally clumsy and stumbling around. Sometimes I wish she wasn't a Metamorphmagus because that way, the Ministry would have to put the trace on her. But since she is one, she uses magic uncontrollably to alter her appearance and hair, so the Ministry removed the trace from her in her first year when they kept getting reports of underage magic.
"Yeah, I am in here, mum!" I hear her all out from the living room, presumably watching the TV. Probably the room I spend the most time in when Ted is at work and Nymphadora is at Hogwarts, watching my soaps and other shows, though it is a hassle as well sometimes. Since the room is the only one in the house with muggle technology in it, it is the only room we cannot use magic in, and when I have to clean it, I have to unplug all of the devices and turn off the electric, so I can use the cleaning charms.
Walking in, I am unsurprised to find my daughter watching cartoons, and she acts affronted when I treat her like a child. The one she is watching now seems to be a cartoon about a bunch of talking babies, and the main character seems to be a bald baby in a blue shirt and diaper called Tommy. Muggles truly do come up with the strangest ideas.
"Dear, I have some news. And I also have something I want to discuss with you as well." I say, wishing to tell her about my new possible job, which is looking more appealing by the second, as well as discuss starting her Occlumency training since I have already left it too late. We need to get started straight away, especially if she wants to become an Auror.
"Yeah, yeah, mum. Just give me two seconds. This episode is just about to end." So she says, but I look up at the clock, and I can clearly see that it is nineteen past five, and I know that shows are on in half an hour increments from o'clock to half past. So it will not take two seconds or even two minutes for this episode to end, and it really irritates me that she just lied when I wanted to speak to her.
"Nymphadora, I have big news for me, as well as big news for you, so pay attention," I say, walking in front of her, getting in the way of the view of the TV as she lies down on the couch. If she was just honest with me, like the young adult she is supposed to be, then I would have gladly waited for the episode to end, but she just tried to dismiss me with a flimsy excuse, and I will not be having it.
"Uggh. I told you not to call me that. Just let me finish this episode, and then you can tell me your news or whatever." Nymphadora makes a noise of frustration and sits up from the sofa before turning to lie on the other end. My daughter just turned her body one hundred and eighty degrees just so that she could keep watching the TV, ignoring me and acting as if I was just an obstacle to her.
Knowing that she would just keep on trying to look past me towards the TV to continue watching it, I decided to step this up a little further. I turn around on the spot and stalk over to the TV and press the power off button before spinning around to look back at my daughter, who looks on speechless.
"MUM! WHAT THE HELL!? I SAID IT WAS FINISHING. WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?" She finds her voice after a second of me glaring at her, but instead of giving in as she used to as a child, she instead glares right back and starts to shout and grumble at me, nothing like the cute child she used to be. I open my mouth to give her a what for when I am interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.
"Hey! I am home!" My husband's voice follows shortly after, stifling my voice and making me sigh. I will wait until he is here to share my news. There is no point explaining it twice. Though I am surprised that he is here, he is unusually early, Ted mainly arrives late at night after a long day of work, but for some reason, he is early today.
I continue to stare at Nymphadora, who stares right back silently as we wait for her father to come into the room, and then out of the corner of my eye, I spot him as he rounds the corner. I spot his blonde hair first, which used to be so thick and wavy but is now sparse and sporadic over his ageing scalp. His plump belly comes into view next, far different from the once broad and muscular chest he had when we were younger. But then I spot his blue eyes, which still hold the same kindness they always have, though now the skin around it is weary and creased, looking very tired.
"Welcome home, Ted. I have some-" I greet him as he peeks his head through the doorway, ready to tell him the news, but Nymphadora quickly gets a word in first.
"Dad! Mum isn't letting me watch the TV!" She cries as soon as she spots him, immediately trying to get back onto the TV so she can continue relaxing and slacking off.
"Dear, let her watch the TV, please. She is hardly home these days since she started going to Hogwarts, and she is only home for the holidays now. Dora will be going back to Hogwarts soon, so just let her watch the TV." He immediately caves, just like he always does, and he always gives in to her. He just can't say no to that, and she clearly knows that as she can't help the smug grin that comes up on her face. It is because of his lax and forgiving attitude that I have been forced to become the strict and demanding, and sometimes I feel really angry with him because of that.
"Now, I will have dinner in my office, Dromeda. Mr Saunders has given me a lot of work to do, so I will be swamped for the remainder of the day. Please try not to disturb me." He says, thinking the conversation over and turning to retire to his office, irking me even more. I am even more irritated by the mention of his job and Mr Saunders, both points of contention in our marriage that I end up avoiding to not have any fights.
"Actually, Ted, before you go, I have some news for everybody," I say, stopping his exit and turning him back around to face me. Nymphadora grumbles in the background about wanting to catch the rest of her show before it finishes quickly, but I easily ignore it, wanting to rip the bandaid off as soon as possible.
"Today, I went out for a job interview and passed it. I will be starting effective immediately, and I will be going in for my first day of work tomorrow." I say, getting it all out at once. Ted appears to be stunned at my words and unable to find the words, stuttering and trying to say something. But in opposition to him, my daughter actually has a good reaction, being very supportive.
"Oh, wow, mum. That's great. What will you be doing, and who are you working for? Is it at a store? Will we get a discount?" She says excitedly, happy for me to be starting this new chapter in my life. I am getting an actual job for the first time in my life, having pretty much finished my career as a mother. She asks me questions which I laugh at, especially the discount one. Perhaps I will be able to get some form of discount out of this for as many businesses as I am able to acquire for Gilderoy.
"Well, I am happy to see you are taking this so well, Nymphadora. I will be working as a secretary and assistant for Gilderoy Lockhart. He has recently begun to expand his business and requires help to do so." So I say, fully expecting to get a loud 'don't call me that from her, but surprisingly I don't.
"THE Gilderoy Lockhart? Are you serious? That is awesome. Can you get me his autograph? Can you help me meet him? Can I come with you-"
"No." Ted's voice cuts through the happy environment, bringing our daughter's questions to a startling stop at his abrupt refusal.
"No?" I question, unbelieving of what I just heard but also aware that there is nothing wrong with my ears, and I heard him clearly. I had a feeling something like this would happen, but I really couldn't believe that it actually happened.
"No. You don't need to get a job, Andromeda. We are fine as we are. I am making enough money working at the law firm, so you can relax at home. I made a vow to provide for both you and our daughter when we got married, and I will do just that." As he states his point with conviction, his eyes harden uncharacteristically, annoying me even further. I had a feeling this would happen because I have broached this subject before, and for a good reason.
We got married young, and with me being pregnant, I was unable to work, but thankfully I had been taking the entire amount out of my Trust vault every year and saving it up, so we were well off. However, Ted was unable to accept living off of that money, so he went and got a job as an assistant at a law firm, getting paid a pitiful amount for a hard day's work. Even with the job, we still relied on my money, and there was nothing I could do as I had to look after Nymphadora.
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Even when Ted got promoted, he was still paid in paltry amounts, and he had even bigger duties thrust upon him. Finally, as Nymphadora got older, I breached the subject of getting a job and helping out, but when that happened, it was the only time Ted ever got serious and stubborn. And now he works all day for not much, and we still rely on my savings as well.
To make matters worse, Ted has been beset by his boss, who realised his situation, and now Mr Saunders foists off most of his work on Ted and takes the credit for it. I have tried to tell him before, but each time I do, he won't hear a word of it, refusing to listen to reason and saying Mr Saunders is the one that got him his job and helped him rise through the ranks. I have indeed given up on trying to help him when he tortures himself for no reason whatsoever, he doesn't even need the job, but that does not mean I am giving up on my prospects.
"I am not doing this for the money, Edward. I am doing this because Nymphadora is a grown woman now, and she will have her own life after she graduates this year. And I don't want to stay in this house cooking and cleaning until the day I die. And yes, Ted, whether you want it or not, I am going to be doing this job." I call him by his full name, Edward. This time, I am not backing down just so he can feel like the man of the house or whatever it is he feels like. I want to live my life.
"Andromeda... You... I don't understand why do you need to get a job? You can just relax while I work. That is why I am doing this. I work so hard for you and Dora. I give up so much so that you two can have good lives and enjoy yourself. I sacrifice a lot for my work an-"
"You sacrifice a lot? Ted, you don't even need to work. I have enough money saved up that we can live comfortably without working so hard. But you work so hard because of your misplaced pride, not for me or for our daughter. How much have you given up? I GAVE UP MY ENTIRE FAMILY AND ALL OF MY FRIENDS TO BE WITH YOU, ALL OF THE CAREER PROSPECTS THAT I HAD! AND YOU WOULD RATHER WORK YOURSELF TO DEATH THAN SPEND TIME WITH ME OR YOUR DAUGHTER!" I finish panting for breath, having let out all the suppressed emotions I have contained for years.
I left everything I knew to be with a kind, generous strapping young man that seemed to be capable of everything. A far cry from the overweight working man who hardly has any time for me anymore and only comes home to sleep, eat, and work some more.
"I am sorry, Ted. But I want to find some meaning and fulfilment outside of this family. Nymphadora is all grown up now, and soon she won't need me anymore. So I am going to do this job, and if you have a problem with that... then I guess we will have a problem." I finish, adamant about taking this new opportunity. Nymphadora is going to graduate, become an Auror and move out, and I will be left here. Alone. Ted constantly works while I am left alone in this house, cleaning and cooking until I die.
"I..." He sighs. "I will skip dinner tonight." Then, he turns around and begins to leave, making me incredibly disappointed. He could have kept shouting or agreed with me or something, anything to show that he cared, but instead, he was just walking away and avoiding it. "If you want to do it, Dromeda, then do it... I won't stop you." He stops and says before continuing his exit, but it doesn't make me feel any better.
I watch as he leaves, and even as it becomes silent after he leaves my sight, I still continue to stare. And I wonder how different my life could have been if I didn't run away with him. I could have been anything, a Mediwitch, a Cursebreaker, a professor. I could have even worked in the Ministry and made some real change in this world. Sometimes I wonder why I ever married that man when he has lost so much of who he was.
"Mum?" I turn to see my daughter sitting up on the couch, looking at me with wide eyes. Yes, now I remember. It is my little mischievous bundle of joy that makes everything I have ever done worth it. The sight of her hair, a mousy brown instead of her usual vibrant bubblegum pink, alerts me to her emotional state.
"Yes, dear. I am sorry you had to see that." I take a seat on the sofa next to her and look at her kindly as her hair switches between multiple colours. It used to be very helpful when she was little, but now that she is older and has more control over it, I find it hard to know how she sometimes feels.
"You know, I am always going to need you... I don't know what I would ever do without you, mum. I am never going to not need you. When I hear someone making fun of me, when I have a bad date, when something goes wrong in my life. I am always going to come to you." I pull my darling little girl into a hug, clutching her tightly against me. She can be mischievous, clumsy, lazy and downright a little brat. But she is still the sweetest thing to have ever existed on the surface of this planet.
"So... Can I meet Gilderoy Lockhart then?" She questions, making me laugh.
"Maybe one day, but for right now, we have something more important to do, Nymphadora," I say, pulling away from her but still holding her close and smiling down at her. Enjoying her impish smile and her bright pink hair.
"Mum, I told you not to call me that. Well, I'll meet him soon then, okay. So, what is it that is so important?" She asks, and even though she makes a fuss at me calling her by her name, it isn't as much as she usually would make.
"What do you know about Occlumency?"
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"There, are you happy with the contents of the contract, Andromeda?" I ask her, wanting to finally get this stressful and mind-numbing task out of the way so we can get to the real stuff. It was the day after I first met Andromeda, and we were meeting up to finalise the contract between us and get it down in formal writing that both of us found agreeable and then magically bind us to it.
I decided to hold the meeting in a private room in the Leaky Cauldron. I hired a room early this morning under a magical disguise and then promptly sent an owl to Andromeda to inform her of the location. I would have rather done this someplace else since the Leaky Cauldron is usually quite packed and populated, but the only other options were in Hogsmeade, and they were the Three Broomsticks and the HogsHead.
Out of the two, the Hogs Head would have been preferable since it is so rundown that no one would be there, and the Three Broomsticks is very busy. Even if the Hogs Head is run by Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, they did not get along for some reason, so I didn't have to worry about my presence being reported to him. But the sheer fact that Dumbledore is probably in Hogwarts so close to the two locations in Hogsmeade made me reject them altogether, not comfortable with the idea of being so close to Dumbledore.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Andromeda show up not too long after I sent her the letter. However, I suppose I shouldn't be, given that everyone is together by the floo network and travel is pretty much instantaneous. When Andromeda came in, she was straight to business, with no more hesitation in her actions or words as she immediately set out on devising the contract with me, assured that she would be working for me in the future. Andromeda must have had a good chat with her family over this, and they must have supported her a lot. She is really enthusiastic about this, but that enthusiasm slowly bled out over the last couple of hours.
I honestly expected us to just set up some conditions and write them out on a piece of parchment, have both of us sign it and then do the magical method I am planning on to have us stick to it. But Andromeda is way more thorough than I was planning on being, and she addressed many issues and problems, constantly revising the contract. So I had to pay close attention to make sure there was nothing too disadvantageous for me or too advantageous for her.
Needless to say, I am very wiped out after all this time, and so is she, but I think we have finally finalised this thing. Of course, there is a lot of wording and preamble in the damned thing, but what it boils down to is pretty simple. She will be loyal to me so long as it pertains to the company and follow my orders regarding it and only it, not allowing that authority to spread any further. In addition, I made sure that she would not reveal or spread any secrets revealed by me to her while she was working for me, a loophole here that may prove helpful in the future.
Realising that working for me and handling such large amounts of wealth could paint a target on her and her family's back, she petitioned to be able to reveal any secrets and company information under the threat of death or if her family was in harm. I refused, stating that they would have a big target on their back if she included this, as it meant she could spill such secrets if Andromeda or her family was threatened. By making it so that Andromeda can't be forced to reveal anything, no matter what, she lessens that threat.
Obviously, that is not really true. If anybody wants anything, they will torture them for it even if they can't reveal anything, but the integrity of the business I a making comes first. I had to do some light nudging with my mind magics to give me this concession, her defence is genuinely not as great as she thought, and I was able to influence her slightly with none the wiser. But, of course, I couldn't do too much of it because if we got to the end and it was heavily leaning in my favour, then it would be obvious that I used some underhand tactics, and I would lose a talented employee.
There were a whole lot more conditions there as well, but they were pretty dull, but then it came to the mind magic aspect. Here was where Andromeda was the most adamant and critical, not finding it easy to turn her mind to another and wanting to be as safe as possible when practising it with me.
We would practice Occlumency and Legilimency together, but we would stop if the other person demanded it. We would only go as deep into the other person's mind as they allowed, and anything we learnt about each other would be strictly kept between ourselves, never to be revealed. We would not use this information for our personal gain and to increase our wealth, so there is no blackmail.
I did no such nudging here as she would no doubt realise it when we reread the thing to give it one last check before we signed it. It didn't matter much, though, since I was just as protected in this arrangement, though I would not be able to do any more nudging to her or mess with her mind after this. Still, I suppose I wouldn't need to since we would be locked into the contract.
"Yes, this will work just fine. Now, are you finally going to tell me how we are going to magically bind ourselves to this contract?" She asks, putting the contract down and signing it before spinning it around for me to sign. She is looking at me, ignoring the absolute mess and scrunched-up parchments around us that just didn't work as I dip my own quill.
"We will be binding ourselves to this using a blood pact, otherwise known as blood troth or blood oath. This includes-" I start to say as I sign the contract, but Andromeda cuts me off.
"I know what a blood oath is. I was a daughter of the prominent house of Black. But why would we use such a method? Admittedly, it is secure and binding, but it will start to hurt us if we even think of breaking it." She says as I finish signing the contract and lean back, relaxed.
"That is exactly why this is the most binding and secure method. I don't plan to break this contract, and if you don't either, then we will be fine until such a time you no longer want to work for me, and we can break the binding together." So I say, sitting forward and drawing my wand out, ready to start the process. I talked to her for a few moments about the specifics of it, denying the other parts of the process as they were more just for appearance purposes and not crucial.
I slice my palm with a cutting spell from my wand while Andromeda does the same, and then we join our palms together over the contract, clasping our hands together. We speak the incantation and then watch as the combination of our blood leaks out between our connected hands and rises up into the air, where a clear artistic glass vial forms around it, signifying the completion of our blood oath.
I reach out and grab hold of it gently, placing it down atop the contract. With this, I have my first loyal employee.