193) Accepting her son-in-law

The next day, Andromeda woke up slowly and sat on the edge of the bed, lost in her thoughts. The previous night had been difficult, and although she eventually managed to get some sleep, the few hours of rest gave her enough clarity to reflect on what had happened.

Her son-in-law had been right. Now, with a clear mind, she felt a deep regret for many of the things she had said. She could hardly believe what she had almost done; the thought of losing her daughter in a fit of rage was unbearable.

She had been on the verge of making the same mistake her family had made with her. When she married Ted, they had expelled her from the family, and now, history seemed to be repeating itself. She had come close to pushing her own daughter away due to an emotional decision. Although Nymphadora had made a mistake, the situation somehow mirrored her own, as if fate were mocking her.

Grateful that things hadn't reached an irreparable point, she got out of bed with determination. Now that she had regained her composure, she hoped to talk without being overwhelmed by anger and find a way to resolve what had happened.

She left her room and went downstairs. As she passed the living room, she heard sounds coming from the kitchen, so she approached out of curiosity. There she saw the red-haired boy she had met the day before, still unable to fully associate that image with her son-in-law, cooking. Next to him, leaning against the wall, was her daughter, quietly watching him and chatting.

"Good morning, Andromeda," I greeted her as she walked in. "Breakfast is almost ready. Sit at the table, and I'll bring it over in a moment."

My mother-in-law looked at me for a few seconds, as if evaluating me. Finally, she nodded and headed for the dining room. Tonks, for her part, simply observed her mother with a complicated expression but said nothing. I hurried to finish preparing breakfast and brought the food to the table, where Andromeda was sitting, her head resting in her hands, elbows on the table.

"I hope you like it," I said, smiling. "I tried to get a bit creative with some recipes."

She looked up and stared at me for a few seconds before responding.

"Thank you," she said softly.

We sat down at the table: Andromeda at the head, while Tonks and I sat across from each other. Silence filled the room as we ate, but from the expressions on their faces, I knew they were enjoying the meal. Perhaps all the effort I had put into improving my cooking skills after what happened with Gaby had been worth it.

The silence lasted until we had almost finished eating. It was then that Andromeda broke the tension that still lingered in the air.

"Nymphadora..." she said, looking at her daughter.

"Hmm?" Tonks replied without much enthusiasm, not looking up from her plate.

"Forgive me," Andromeda continued, her voice tinged with regret. "Yesterday... I said many horrible things." Tonks stopped eating and looked at her directly. "I got upset. I wasn't thinking clearly, and the situation overwhelmed me. I'm very sorry for everything I said." As she said this, she reached out to take her daughter's hand.

Tonks swallowed the food she had been chewing before responding in an almost inaudible tone. "I'm sorry too," she murmured, almost choking on some crumbs, but she didn't let go of her mother's hand. "I said things I shouldn't have."

"I know. Despite everything, I want you to know that I love you, my little butterfly."

"Mom! Don't call me that," Tonks complained, blushing as she remembered the days of her childhood when her mother used that nickname.

"I'm your mother, and until the day I die, I'll call you whatever I want," Andromeda replied, a tender smile on her lips as she pulled Tonks' hand and drew her into a hug. "I'm truly sorry. I don't want us to end up like my mother and me. No matter what happens or what's said, you'll always be my daughter, and I'll always love you."

"I know, Mom," Tonks responded, returning the hug and making an effort to hold back the tears that threatened to spill. She was still emotionally fragile after what had happened the night before.

Mother and daughter stayed embraced for a long time, dissolving the tension that had built up from the events of the previous day. Although there was still some discomfort, they knew time would heal the remaining wounds. By the time they parted, I had already started clearing the dishes from the table. I noticed Andromeda discreetly glancing at me while I did so, but I didn't say anything.

"I still can't believe it's you," Andromeda sighed, her eyes filled with conflicting emotions.

"I know, Mom, it was hard for me at first too," Tonks replied, trying to stay calm.

"But you still fucked him," her mother questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"He insisted…" Tonks retorted, blushing, not wanting to go into too much detail.

"And you, a grown woman, about to graduate from Hogwarts, at least five years older than him, couldn't say no?" Andromeda's gaze remained judgmental, though less harsh than the day before.

Tonks stayed silent, unsure how to respond. The relief was palpable when she saw me return to the room, hoping my presence would ease the moment.

"Yes, your daughter's easy," I commented with a grin, sitting down beside them.

"RED!" Tonks exclaimed, visibly angry and embarrassed.

"Very easy. You wouldn't believe what she was willing to do when…" I stopped and dodged just in time as a small object came flying at me, thrown by Tonks.

"Alright, let's get serious again," Andromeda interjected, who in another moment might have gone along with the joke, but the topic was too important now. "What are we going to do? What do you two plan to do?"

"Mom, I'm not leaving him. No matter what happens, I won't walk away from him," Tonks answered, lowering her gaze, afraid to see disappointment or rejection in her mother's eyes.

"Are you sure?" Andromeda asked, taking her daughter's hand reassuringly. "I don't know how things stand legally, but even if there's no issue on that front, people won't see this kindly. They'll judge you, and I'm not sure his family will accept it easily. Though I don't know them deeply, I know they're normal enough not to take this well."

"I don't care," Tonks replied, lifting her head with determination, though her eyes were slightly teary.

"If you could wait a while, a few more years… things would be much easier. You could be together without facing so many obstacles. You'd also see if you're truly compatible in the long run," Andromeda suggested, her voice a mix of reason and hope.

"I can't do that, Mom. You were right about one thing: I found someone who makes me want to come home safe and sound. Even now that I no longer want to be an Auror, I can't imagine life without him. Every time I think about the future, he's there," Tonks confessed, trembling slightly. Although she knew her mother's suggestion was logical, she couldn't accept the idea of separation.

"My dear," Andromeda murmured, moved, squeezing her daughter's hand and caressing her cheek. She could see how much she was in love, and it filled her with mixed feelings.

"I'm sorry, Mom," Tonks said, fearful that she had disappointed her.

"You don't need to apologize, you're right. In the end, you've found what I always wanted for you, even if it wasn't in the way I expected. I can't judge you for that," Andromeda sighed, feeling the weight of irony in the situation. "If this is truly what you want, I'll support you."

"Really?" Tonks asked, surprised, as if she couldn't quite believe it.

"Yes. I know what it's like to make a decision and feel abandoned by your family. I don't want that to happen to you. I won't be like my mother. I love you," Andromeda replied with a warm smile. Then she turned to me and extended her hand, taking mine as well. "It may take me some time to get used to it, but I must accept that, despite everything, you're the son-in-law I've always appreciated."

"Thank you for your effort," I smiled, squeezing her hand with both of mine.

"What do you think about all this?" Andromeda asked, though it was clear she was slightly uncomfortable with the idea of someone so young having such decision-making power. Still, she made an effort to treat me with the same respect as before.

"I'll accept whatever Tonks decides, as long as she doesn't try to run away from me," I replied with a playful smile. "I already told her: we're together, forever."

"Big words for someone so small," Andromeda joked, smiling at the irony of my youthful appearance.

"Mom…" Tonks groaned, though she couldn't help but laugh a little, easing the tension of the moment. "Do you really support us?" she asked, still with some doubt in her voice.

"Yes, my love, both of you," Andromeda said, looking at us with tenderness. "But, even if I don't mind, that won't change other people's opinions. You'll have to be discreet for a long time."

"We know, that's what we plan to do," I replied, and Tonks nodded. "But having your acceptance is already a big step."

"I'm glad to hear that," Andromeda sighed, relieved, though still worried. "But… just as you revealed this to me, will your family know soon?" she asked, frowning.

"Oh, no!" I responded, shaking my head. "Not for a long time. You're special, Andromeda, and trustworthy…"

"Oh, of course," Tonks interrupted sarcastically. "Make me go through a hard time with my mother, but you get off easy," she added, crossing her arms.

"Well," I replied, shrugging, "if you want to face the parents of the underage boy you deflowered, we can give it a shot," I suggested with irony.

"Ghh…" Tonks choked on her own saliva. "No, no, just my mother is enough," she said, clearly alarmed.

"Either way, I wouldn't have let you do it even if you wanted to," I added, smiling as Tonks looked at me, both relieved and slightly annoyed.

Andromeda let out a soft laugh, watching our interaction. Although my appearance had changed, she noticed something that reminded her of how we were when I still used my other identity.

"I'm happy for you both," she said with a smile, though her expression quickly turned more serious. "But now I have some questions... If Tenebrius was your other identity, how were you attending Hogwarts and here at home at the same time during classes? Didn't anyone notice your absence?"

"Oh, that's thanks to my abilities," I replied, shrugging. "I never stopped attending Hogwarts or being in other places at the same time."

"How is that possible?" Andromeda asked, visibly surprised.

"Thanks to this," I said, and two identical clones of me appeared on either side.

"It's a cloning ability," we all said in unison.

Andromeda's eyes widened in shock, and she quickly glanced at her daughter, expecting Tonks to show the same surprise. However, Tonks didn't flinch, as if she was used to it. Andromeda turned back to me, studying the clones, impressed by how perfectly identical they were, unable to find a single flaw distinguishing them from the original.

"And to think I believed my daughter had the advantage in bed with her abilities…" Andromeda murmured, not realizing what she was saying.

"Mom!" Tonks exclaimed, immediately blushing in embarrassment.

"Sorry," she quickly apologized to me, realizing how inappropriate her comment had been and feeling guilty because of my age.

"It's fine," I replied with a smile. "I'd rather you treat me the way you did before. Take your time to get used to it."

"It'll be difficult," Andromeda admitted with a sigh. "But I guess everything that wasn't supposed to be done has already been done," she added resignedly, casting a brief, judgmental glance at her daughter.

"Mom… besides, he doesn't use his clones for that," Tonks replied, clearly embarrassed and a bit annoyed.

"Really?" Andromeda asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

"No, for some reason he doesn't, and I'm thankful for it. Remember the other time, just him alone almost wiped me out… if there were more, I would've died in that room," Tonks muttered, averting her gaze as she confided in her mother.

"Well, I think you'll feel more comfortable without me here," I said, noticing that mother and daughter had started whispering, clearly trying to keep me from hearing. "I'll be back for lunch," I added, and just like that, all three clones disappeared into a pool of blood.

"Ahhh!" Andromeda screamed, startled by my sudden disappearance.

"Relax, Mom," Tonks reassured her. "That's how his clones vanish. He's fine… wherever he is."

"Was that a clone the whole time?" Andromeda asked, still surprised.

"Yes, I think so. But it doesn't matter, he perceives everything his clones see and feel, so he was basically here with us the whole time," Tonks explained naturally.

"And how do you tell him apart from his clones?" Andromeda asked, still intrigued.

"I can't," Tonks admitted. "I never know if it's the real him unless we have sex. Whenever we do anything sexual, he makes sure to use his real self."

"Oh…"

Silence filled the room as Andromeda processed everything that had just happened. Once she had relaxed, she looked back at her daughter.

"So… despite everything, his penis isn't small?"

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