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Tweak says, "You set the tone"

Andromeda Tonks (andietonks_) wrote,
@ 2011-08-06 15:07:00

BIO.

Basic Information

Full Name: Andromeda Chrysanthe Kallisto (nee Black) Tonks
Nicknames/Aliases: Andie to her intimates
Age // Birthdate: 52 // 3 May 1953
Blood: Pureblood
Residence: Seaford, East Sussex, UK, southern coast of the UK
Occupation: Healer-in-Charge, Maternity and Pediatrics Ward at St. Mungo's
Qualifications: NEWT level in Potions (O), Herbology (O), Charms (O), Transfiguration (E), DADA (E). Joined the Healer training program at St. Mungo's in 1970, after graduating from Hogwarts. When she was pregnant with Nymphadora, she left her position at St. Mungo's to be at home with her daughter. In 1984, when Nymphadora began at Hogwarts, she returned to St. Mungo's. She's worked as a Healer ever since and was made Healer-in-Charge of the Maternity and Pediatrics Ward in 1998.

Appearance

General Appearance: Andromeda is of medium height and build. She keeps her naturally dark hair a lighter, redder shade and wears it in a multitude of styles, more often than not curled to her shoulders or tied back in a simple twist. She is naturally pale, and has the dark blue-gray eyes that set her apart as a member of the Black family. Growing up, she was often mistaken for her older sister, Bellatrix, so much so that Andromeda started dying her hair a deep shade of red, rather than wearing it its natural black. Now she does it all the time to hide her grey. Sometime around the end of the war, after her grandson was born, Andromeda realized just how old she looked. Now she tends to charm her appearance, eliminating her wrinkles, and tries to make herself look younger. Some days she succeeds better than others.
PB: Dina Meyer or Kate Walsh

Personality

First Meeting: Andromeda is naturally wary of other people, though she's spent her life trying to get over it. Mostly, she's wary of how people will treat her when they learn her maiden name, or how they'll treat her grandson when they discover his father was a werewolf. So the first thing people notice about Andromeda is that she's cautious, which many people mistake for shyness or, worse, arrogance.
Sexuality: Straight
Political Views: Inclusive. She married a Muggleborn wizard, her late son-in-law was a werewolf (though admittedly Andromeda was hesitant about that relationship), and all of her in-laws are Muggles. Though she was brought up as a member of the Black family and taught pureblood elitism, that all changed when she fell in love with Ted Tonks. It took her a while, but she opened herself up to the Muggle world and spent many of her early marriage years primarily there. She returned to the magical world, more or less, once Nymphadora went off the Hogwarts and Andromeda joined the staff at St. Mungo's.
Statute of Secrecy: Andromeda is trying to stay neutral on the position. She has had both good and bad experiences with Muggles. Not to mention her upbringing burned hatred for them into her brain, as though it were hardwired into her. Of course, it's been ages since Andromeda has thought the way of a Black. If hard-pressed for an answer, Andromeda would admit that she thinks it ought to remain in place. Muggles often times react badly to magical folk, and Andromeda would worry about the backlash.
General: Andromeda grew up in the shadow of her slightly older sister Bellatrix, and because of that, she went through a rebellious period during her later years of Hogwarts, which cultivated her relationship with muggleborn Ted Tonks. What she never expected to find with him was love, family, and a future. Since her rebel days, Andromeda has mellowed out, though she is still stubborn and likes to get her way.

Sometimes Andromeda finds it hard to trust people. She has lost nearly everyone in her life whom she's loved, including those whom she once loved and didn't necessarily when they died. So she has trouble letting anyone else in and is extremely protective of those close to her, most notably her 8-year-old grandson, Teddy. Since she and her late husband were never able to give Nymphadora a brother or a sister, Andromeda treats Teddy as if he's her own. She dotes on him, encourages him, and, some people might argue, is overprotective of him.

Andromeda has a tendency to run away from her problems, which is what she did when her parents disapproved of her relationship with Muggle-born Ted Tonks. Surprisingly though, rather than run back to her family and leave Ted, she chose to run away WITH him, which severed all her ties with her family and brought her into the Muggle world, something she never once considered before.

She is soft-spoken but confidence. She is self-assured and, at times, arrogant. She doesn't like admitting that she is wrong, but she will if necessary. She is gentle and caring, and she adores children. Andromeda is smart and proud and willing to do whatever it takes to keep those she loves safe.
Plans/Goals: Her number one goal is to raise Teddy to be strong, independent, tolerant, and fully aware of the lost legacy of his parents and grandfather.
Special Skills: Andromeda is very skilled in Charms and Potions, skills that paved the way for her to enter a career in medicine. They're also handy around the house, of course, and Andromeda likes to use appearance charms on herself, so that she doesn't really look like the grandmother she is.

Relationships

Immediate Family: All deceased except her grandson, Teddy Remus Lupin, aged 8.
Current SO: None.
Friends: To-be-determined.

History

Hogwarts House/Year: Slytherin / 1964-1971
Grades/Accomplishments: Slytherin House Prefect, 6th and 7th years. NEWT level in Potions (O), Herbology (O), Charms (O), Transfiguration (E), DADA (E). Arithmancy (A) and Care of Magical Creatures (A).
General: Born second daughter to Cygnus and Druella Black in 1953, Andromeda believed the easiest thing to be was invisible, especially living in the shadow of her older sister. While her older sister, Bellatrix, soon stood out as domineering, stubborn, powerful, and brash and her younger sister, Narcissa the perfect pureblooded, dainty daughter, Andromeda was, well, ordinary. To begin with, this made Andromeda want to sink into the woodwork, but after her sorting at Hogwarts (Slytherin, like every other Black), when it became apparent that she didn’t even stand out at school (she overheard someone near her say, “Oh it’s just another Black, of course she’s a Slytherin” after her sorting), she became somewhat of a rebel.

It was strangely easy for Andromeda to rebel, mostly because no one really seemed to care. She grew up with pureblood elitism engrained in her brain and ideals, so it was natural to her that the thing that would most get her parents and her sisters to notice her was if she did something over-the-top in regards to blood status. In her 6th year, she was made prefect, and she met Ted Tonks, a 7th year in Hufflepuff, of all houses, and, better yet, a Muggleborn. She was entranced by his jovial, laid-back nature, and the idea that just because he had Muggle blood didn't make him dirty, stupid, or lazy. She soon found herself calling him a friend and wishing for something more. He graduated and went on his way before she did. She spent her remaining year at Hogwarts dating boys from other houses, some pureblooded, some not, though she never could quite shake Ted Tonks from her mind.

After her graduation from Hogwarts, Andromeda entered the Healer-in-training program at St. Mungo's, despite protests from her family about women not needing to take a job. Even though she still lived at home, she greatly enjoyed her work in the Maternity and Pediatrics ward. She was, several times, given lists of acceptable matches, pureblooded men with whom her parents wanted her to make a match. She dated some of them, usually finding them stuffy and maniacal and not at all what she wanted for her life. It was just happenstance that she ran into her former Muggleborn friend, Ted Tonks, outside Gringott's in Diagon Alley.

In late 1972, Andromeda discovered she was pregnant with Ted's child and, squaring her shoulders, told her parents. Not only was her family aghast at her disgraceful pregnancy, but it was made worse by the fact that Ted was Muggleborn. Even though she begged her parents to come to her wedding, they flat-out refused. Regardless, Andie and Ted married in a small Catholic Muggle ceremony. Less then a year later, their daughter, Nymphadora, was born and on the same day, Andromeda was officially disowned from the Black line, blasted off the family tree by her aunt Walburga, and pegged as a blood traitor. Despite her efforts not to show it, this hurt her a lot and while she never regretted her love for her husband or daughter, she does sometime get upset about it.

Because the Black family was so notable and Andromeda's betrayal public news, she left her position at St. Mungo's and she and Ted moved away from London to Surrey, to be near Ted's parents and family. As a stay-at-home mother, she and Ted enjoyed a quiet, Muggle life -- him as a newscaster and then anchor on the local news. They raised Nymphadora as a Muggle, which was proven difficult by her ability and like of changing her hair color at inopportune times. By the time Nymphadora went off to Hogwarts, the war with Voldemort had died down and quieted, and the blood status obsession had lessened. Andromeda returned to St. Mungo's.

By the time the second war began, Andromeda and Ted were more interested in participating, and they offered their home and time to the Order of the Phoenix, of which their daughter, now an Auror, was involved. Andromeda worried constantly about Nymphadora, moreso when she brought home Remus Lupin, a quiet wizard years older than Nymphadora (he had been at school with Andromeda's own cousin Sirius). Her worry escalated when she learned that Remus was a werewolf. She was vocal about her opinion on this, but as usual, her daughter paid her no attention. It wasn't long before the war got to a turning point in Andromeda's own life: her husband, a Muggleborn, went on the run and, ultimately, lost her life. In a few short months, Andromeda's life turned upside-down. She lost her husband, gained a grandson, and then lost a daughter and son-in-law. Andromeda was devastated.

With too many memories at her house haunting her, Andromeda moved her and her infant grandson to Seaford, on the Southern coast, to a small house overlooking a cliff. She continued on at St. Mungo's, accepting the position of Healer-in-Charge, which eliminated a lot of her on-call hours. She is more friendly since the war ended with those she'd met during her and Nymphadora's involvement in the Order of the Phoenix. They have all become like a family to her, taking care of Teddy while she's at work, offering other baby-sitting services, dropping by unannounced so she can see a friendly face. As Teddy grew up, Andromeda enrolled him in a Muggle primary school and home-schooled him as a wizard at home. She and Ted had done the same with Nymphadora, which had proven to be quite difficult with her abilities, and she knew Ted and, hopefully Nymphadora as well, would have wanted the boy to have that unique chance. It filled her life with so many distractions that she started to be happy again, happy to watch Teddy grow up, to have him surrounded by friends and new family. Truly, she wouldn't have made it through those deaths if it wasn't for Teddy. She had to live and survive and suppress the anger, bitterness, and hatred that burned inside her so that she could give Teddy what was left of the world.

Questions

Answer five or more questions IC, in first-person. If it helps, imagine you're in a bar chatting with a stranger. Please give us some depth, and not just one sentence/word answers.
Do you prefer to be alone or around others? Does this change depending on whether it's a work or social setting, or whether the other people are friends or strangers?
I love being around friends and family. At least, that's the way I used to be. My late husband, Ted, comes from a large, happy Muggle family, and I got used to their parties and get-togethers. When I know the people I'm with, I prefer to be with them. The same goes for work, though I admit I tend to enjoy being around my patients more than my co-workers. Children are lovely and fascinating, and I always wished I could have had more than one. My wish has been unfortunately granted in that I'm raising my grandson. He is the person I like to be around the most.

What is the farthest you've been from home? Do you like to travel or do you prefer to stay home?
Growing up, we regularly traveled around Europe, though I have never been off-continent. Ask me ten years ago and I would have been firm in my desire to remain at home, because home is where my family is. I still prefer to be at home over traveling, though not for the same reasons. Now home is where I feel the closest to my family, those who are gone now.

What trait do you most deplore in others? What trait do you like the most?

On what occasions and from whom do you hide your political or personal opinions?

Do you often tell little white lies? What other things do you lie about, to yourself or others?

What is one thing that you regret? If you could go back and change it, would you? Do you feel like you learned something valuable from the experience?

What is your average day like? What would your perfect day be like?

Can you cast a Patronus? If so, what form does it take and what memory do you use to cast it? What is your boggart and why?
I've never had any cause to cast a Patronus, as I've been very lucky not to encounter many dementors in my life. My boggart, however, is my older sister Bellatrix, though she's now dead. She is laughing and waving her wand at me, triumphing in taking away everyone in my life whom I love.

Who do you trust? Why? Are there situations when you feel you can't trust them?

What is one thing you absolutely refuse to do? Why? Would that change if your life or the life of a loved one was at stake?

What are your feelings on blood purity? Have you ever felt differently? What influenced your beliefs?
My beliefs have, at different times in my life, been all over the place. I grew up in a pureblood elitist environment, where hatred for Muggles and anyone without the purest of blood ran rampant. For a long time, it was all I ever knew. I was expected to only associate with other purebloods and most definitely only marry another pureblood. That changed when I met my late husband, Ted, who not only was not a pureblood but in fact was a Muggleborn. Though hesitant -- things that you've been taught repeatedly from a very young age are difficult to pull free from -- it was falling in love that changed things for me. Love does that to a person. While my family disowned me, Ted's family embraced me. I don't have very much prejudice anymore, unless you count a prejudice against those purebloods who consider themselves better than everyone else.

Do you consider education or experience to be more important? What led you to have this opinion?
I think it's good to have a decent mixture of both. I have both, personally. I can't imagine someone refusing to be educated or not wanting that kind of experience in their lives. It is always a good idea to be taught by people who have more experience or understand things better than you. However, in a field such as medicine and healing, as I'm in, experience is just as important. One never knows how she'll react in a situation until she's in that situation.

What is your greatest achievement? Was it something you wanted and worked for a long time to achieve, or did it come about more suddenly? Do you think any of your achievements in the future will be able to surpass that?

Sample

First Sample: Andie / Andie & others upon request.

Second Sample: Teddy still has three years left before he goes off to Hogwarts, but I'm already panicking about it. I think it's the time of year, so close to September 1, so close to when he'll board the train and be away from me. Today, he's here, with me, and he's really all I have. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, alone in a cold bed, and I think about how much more lonely I'll be when he starts school. Then I remind myself how much I loved Hogwarts, how much his mother did, and his father, I'm sure as well. Hogwarts is a magical time in a young wizard's life, and most of me is excited that he'll get to go. I wonder about his house, where he'll be, with family all over the place. I'd like for him to be in Gryffindor like his father and his cousin and his godfather have been, and I try and sort him every day. But every day he still surprised me, shows me a side of him that I didn't see before. Every day I see Ted in him, Nymphadora, Remus -- Teddy is my savior, truly. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have survived the war myself.

OOC