I had a lot to do and plan: Castelobruxo, the girls at Hogwarts with the basilisk, my unborn daughter with Gemma, talking to Elise about divinity, gathering information about the existence of the gods... and now, what I needed to resolve: my plans for Andromeda.
Tonks and her mother were waiting in a house within the fiefdom. As soon as I entered, I noticed Tonks shooting me a murderous glare, which she quickly diverted. It was clear that things with her would be complicated for a while.
"Why did you call us here?" Tonks asked, her tone far from friendly.
"Be nice, Nymphadora," Andromeda said, giving her a light pat, although it didn't really improve the mood.
"Actually... I just needed to speak with your mother," I said as I hung my coat on the rack and sat down on one of the armchairs, "but considering this concerns your family, I thought you should be present too."
"What are you going to do to us now?" Tonks asked, already anticipating I would say something to upset her.
"Relax, Nymphadora," Andromeda intervened. "Getting angry won't solve anything. If he called us with such seriousness, it must be important... In fact, I think I know what he wants, but I have to tell you that I can't."
"What does he want to do?" Tonks asked, confused. The way her mother and her boyfriend were so in sync made her nervous.
"He wants me to claim the Black family inheritance," Andromeda answered.
"What?!" Tonks exclaimed, completely shocked.
"How did you know?" I asked, genuinely surprised. Andromeda was intuitive, yes, but that had been far too precise.
"When you take me to bed, I'll tell you," she replied with a mischievous smile, winking at me. Tonks frowned with a mixture of disgust and fury.
"You want to take the Black inheritance?" Tonks glared at me, indignant. "Is that why you're sleeping with my mother?"
"No... Maybe... partly..." I said, forcing a calm tone as I picked up a teacup from the table. "But that's not the point."
"Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to give you everything you want..." Andromeda said softly, her voice a mixture of a lover's affection and a mother's protectiveness, "I can't. I was disowned by the Black family, erased from the family tree along with all my descendants. My sisters' children have a much stronger claim to the inheritance than I do."
She spoke with a hint of regret. She didn't regret distancing herself from her family, but our current relationship made her feel guilty for not being able to give me what I wanted.
"I know... but there might be a way," I said, immediately catching both their attention.
Tonks didn't really care much about the Black inheritance. She wasn't materialistic, and with me, and here, she would never lack anything. Still, knowing what she did about her mother's past, she thought it wouldn't be a bad thing if that family were forced to give something back.
"I have a method for you to become the head of the family, Lady Black," I said solemnly, pausing. "Or we could even give Tonks the opportunity instead... but there's a price."
"What price?" Tonks asked, curious.
"Changing your last name," I finally said.
Both of them widened their eyes in surprise.
It wasn't a high price in material terms; anyone else would have accepted it without hesitation for such a fortune. But for them, the name "Tonks" carried a much deeper value.
"How can you ask us that?!" Tonks shouted, jumping to her feet. "Not only are you sleeping with my mother, but now you want to erase every trace of my father?!" she screamed as she launched herself at me, wrapping her robotic arm around my neck, activated purely by her rage.
"That's why... I was going to ask your mother," I managed to say with difficulty, struggling to breathe. "I couldn't demand that you give up your surname; I know how much it means to you..." I added sincerely, despite the pain. "I even... even wanted our children to carry your last name, to honor Ted... I wouldn't ask if I had any other choice."
"Don't you dare speak his name with your filthy mouth!" Tonks spat, on the verge of tears, but finally released me. Andromeda had hugged her from behind, holding her tightly.
"Tonks, let him go... You can't go on like this," her mother whispered, gently stroking her hair.
"But he wants to..." Tonks sobbed, completely overwhelmed. The wounds of the past, ones she had struggled so hard to heal, were tearing open again. Everything around her was changing faster than she could bear.
"I know... and still, I agree with him," Andromeda said firmly.
"What?! Why?!" Tonks cried, looking at her with a mix of sadness and despair. "Why are you so willing to leave Dad behind...?"
"It's not like that, my dear," Andromeda said, not letting her go. She held her for a few more seconds, caressing her until she noticed her breathing start to steady, then looked her in the eyes. "This isn't about forgetting your father. He'll always be with us, in our memories, in our hearts. This... is simply something that must be done."
"But it's not that important... not even all the money in the world..." Tonks protested, her voice broken.
"Shhh... Tonks," her mother murmured, using her surname — something she rarely did — instantly capturing her full attention. "Precisely out of respect for your father, I want to do this. Because I know what I'm doing now... I don't feel worthy of carrying his name anymore. I feel like I'm dishonoring him. Being called 'Tonks' when..." Her eyes flicked toward me. "Besides," she added with a sad smile, "I know I can leave that name behind peacefully... because I have you. No one has more right to carry it than you — the greatest creation and the most precious gift your father left to this world. Red himself said it: your children will carry his lineage, his legacy, his name... all thanks to you."
Thus, mother and daughter stayed embraced for a long while, sharing a silence that spoke louder than any words. I didn't interrupt. I let the moment run its course. Little by little, things calmed down. Tonks still wasn't fully convinced, but she stayed silent, trapped in her thoughts.
"What needs to be done?" Andromeda asked firmly, ready to do whatever was necessary. "Is there anything else besides the name change I should know about?"
"Not much, really," I replied while casting a gentle glance toward Tonks. "My method is an ancient ritual once used to claim a family legacy when all main members of the house had died."
"It's true there's no one left from the main branch... but what about my sisters and my nephew? Besides my cousin Sirius, who's in Azkaban, and possibly Regulus… though his whereabouts are unknown, he'd still have more right than me." Andromeda spoke calmly, but clearly weighing all possibilities.
"I'm sorry to give you this news, but Regulus is dead," I said softly. She looked at me for a moment before nodding silently. "Sirius was disowned by the family and, being in Azkaban, couldn't do anything unless he escaped. As for your sisters… the fact that they married into other houses stripped them of the right to the legacy." I paused for a second before adding, "You, on the other hand, are technically single..." Just then, I felt Tonks's icy glare pierce me, and I swallowed awkwardly. "...and I have another ritual to restore your surname. Once completed, you'll be eligible for the process."
"And my sister's son?" she asked, aware of the last loose end.
"Yes... he would be the greatest rival for the inheritance, if he managed to reach the Black ancestral home," I admitted with a faint smile. But then my expression turned more serious. "Still, even if we can't prevent him from showing up, I have another way to ensure your position is superior to his… if you're willing."
"What method is that?" Tonks interjected with concern. She knew her mother well, and wouldn't ask about willingness unless it was something complicated or even dangerous.
"I plan to purify her Black bloodline," I explained. "It's a process I've perfected with practice. It shouldn't be dangerous, although it might be somewhat painful or uncomfortable temporarily. I also plan to obtain the blessing of a family member."
"That... will be difficult," Andromeda murmured thoughtfully.
"Leave it to me," I responded with a reassuring smile.
"Alright. When do we start?" she asked with determination.
"Right now. I'll begin the ritual to establish your true name. It'll be only moderately complicated, given that you were expelled. If any powerful family member still existed, we'd have to worry about their will interfering with the process… but that won't be a problem. And if it is, I'll protect you."
Then I looked at them both. "I also need to collect a few blood samples from you two."
Tonks visibly flinched at the idea, but said nothing. Neither of them refused. I took what I needed, preparing everything to continue the ritual, when suddenly, just as I turned to leave, Andromeda stopped me with a hand on my arm.
"Red, wait a moment," Andromeda called just as I was about to walk out. I turned, as did Tonks, intrigued by her tone.
"Yes?" I asked curiously.
"I want to ask you something." (Andromeda)
"Sure, go ahead." (Red)
"I want to move here. To the 'fief,' as you call it." (Andromeda)
"Mom? You want to move here?" Tonks opened her eyes in surprise and pain. "You don't like our house anymore?"
"It's not that, my girl," Andromeda replied with a gentle smile. "Actually, that's what I wanted to talk about. Would it be possible to bring our house here? The ones in this place are lovely, but I've grown too accustomed to mine. If we can't move it entirely, perhaps we could build a replica… and move all our things."
"I see no problem." I thought for a moment, then nodded. "We can make an exact replica and move everything. The original will remain as a base in the outside world, just in case." I smiled at Andromeda. "I told you before, but I'll say it again: welcome, Andromeda. This is as much your home as it is mine."
"Ugh..." Tonks groaned in pure disgust. She could already imagine what was coming. "I'll stay at our house. You two stay here and... you know, fuck or whatever." She said the word like it tasted of venom.
"Nymphadora, I can't believe you're so cruel as to leave your poor mother all alone, just when she needs me the most." Andromeda placed a hand on her chest, with a dramatic sigh. "Do you want to break my fragile, delicate little heart?"
"That's emotional blackmail and you know I don't want you using it on me anymore," Tonks shot back, crossing her arms. "You're not fragile or delicate anymore."
"No, dear, you're not getting rid of me that easily," Andromeda said firmly. "Until I consider you a grown woman, I won't let you go."
"And when will that be? When will you leave me alone?" asked Tonks, resentment lacing her voice.
"Who knows... maybe never," she said with a cheerful giggle. "But I suppose I could speed things up if you had children of your own... Although, of course, we'll need space for your new siblings."
"What?" Tonks could barely process those words, horror beginning to dawn on her face.
"Well, if we plan for me to inherit the Black family, I'll need to leave descendants." Andromeda said it naturally. "Honestly, ever since I rejuvenated, the idea of giving you a new little brother or sister has crossed my mind."
Tonks blinked slowly, trying to process that.
"What do you think, Nym? Want to help me grow the family? All you have to do is warm up your boyfriend a bit and leave the rest to me."
"NO! No, no, no, on, NO! NONONONO!" Tonks went into full panic mode, grabbing her head like she wanted to rip her brain out.
She could barely handle the strange and twisted relationship between her mother and her boyfriend, but this... this was an unimaginable nightmare.
Her mother, pregnant... by her boyfriend... who would now be her stepfather… and father of her sister… who would, in turn, be the sister-in-law of her own father...
Tonks seemed to enter a full emotional breakdown, letting out incoherent squeals as she spun in circles, babbling impossible kinship theories.
And meanwhile, I was already gone. I had vanished before the chaos could catch me. Hopefully, they wouldn't find me until things calmed down… or until it was safe to return without Tonks trying to kill me.