16 August 1975 Ted knew full well that Dora would mostly likely not even realise it was her birthday, but it was also the only second birthday his daughter would ever have. He charmed a few decorations to hang about in a festive manner so she'd at least know it was a special occasion. With a flick of his wand, he straightened the small happy birthday banner and stepped back. "I think I'm finished in here," he called to Andromeda as he pocketed his wand.
Andromeda poked her head out from the kitchen and eyed Ted's work. "That's it?" she asked, not meanly. "It's a birthday."
"I wasn't sure how much to do. She's not going to know what's going on," he replied, taking his wand out again and glancing around. "I guess a few more would be nice."
"We'll take pictures," she pointed out. "We don't want it to look like we couldn't be bothered."
Ted hadn't really thought about the pictures. "Good point. How are things going in there?" He asked, hanging more decorations around and enlarging the birthday banner.
"Just fine," she replied vaguely. Andromeda's cooking had been hit and miss, really, as she only started learning how to do it a few years previous. "What did you leave Nymphadora doing?"
"Playing with her teddy bear," Ted replied. "She was pretty distracted."
"Just so long as she isn't looking like the teddy bear when we pull out the camera."
Ted groaned. "I hadn't thought about that."
Andromeda sighed lightly. "There's no way around it, we're ... just going to have to hope," she settled on. "And hope to god she figures it out when she's older."
"From what I've read about it, control comes with age," Ted said, ruffling his hair. "But there's not much more out there."
"Well, no, of course not, most people don't want to own up to it." Not that she blamed them, not really. "We're just going to have to hope she learns how to do it, and quickly. I'm not sure too many other children will be friendly if she keeps changing her hair."
"Or her nose," he agreed. "But she's only two years old."
"She's two and she has no friends her age," Andromeda reminded her husband.
"She's two years old. She has plenty of time to make friends," Ted replied optimistically.
"Even when she has no family to at least start her off with?" she questioned, clearly skeptical.
"She's got you, she's got me, she's got Hestia. We'll do more to integrate her," he said. "We'll take her to parks, maybe even daycare once a week."
"And hope the other children don't scream," she replied dryly. "All right, fine, we'll try it. I - oh, shit, the cake -" She dashed back into the kitchen.
Ted hoped the cake would be edible. That was all they needed today. He added a few more decorations before popping his head into the kitchen. "Is it a total loss?" He asked sympathetically.
"Uh." Not the greatest cake, but not the most inedible creation Andromeda had produced recently. "With some icing, you'll never know?" "We'll hide it from the pictures," Ted joked lightly, moving to kiss her cheek. "It doesn't look too bad," he said encouragingly.
"What would you rather have a picture of, a lopsided cake or a daughter with fuzzy ears?" she returned, smiling a little.
"Can we pretend the ears are part of a costume?" Ted pondered aloud.
Andromeda gave him a look. "A bear costume in the middle of August?" "Right, pictures of a lopsided cake it is," he replied. "Maybe a few of her, inevitable ears and all," she allowed. "To mark the occasion."
Ted slipped an arm around her waist. "While you ice the cake, I can try and talk her out of the ears," he offered.
"Does she even know better?" Andromeda asked, eying the cake.
"She might not, but the pictures, remember?"
"I mean, does she know how to change her ears?"
"She can if she gets distracted long enough, I think," Ted told her. "If Daddy is funnier than the bear, she'll change."
Andromeda nodded, picking up the bowl that had the icing in it, already prepared. "Good luck," she offered. "I'll need the same luck to do the cake, too."
Ted kissed her quickly. "Good luck," he returned. "Just call when you're ready?"
"It'll be five minutes," she promised. "You could fetch Nymphadora."
"Yes m'am. Fetching Dora," he said with a salute before disapearing toward the nursery.
Andromeda wasn't a fan of nicknames, but she was fairly positive there was no way to convince Ted to drop the one he'd coined for their daughter. Instead, she set to work on the cake while Ted got Nymphadora.
Just as they had suspected, Dora definitely had furry ears. Ted picked her up and immediately swung her around to cause her to giggle. "Let's get those ears back to normal," he murmured, tickling her lightly. After a few minutes, she must have forgotten completely about her bear because her ears faded back to their normal shape. "That's my girl," he said, putting her on his shoulders and trotting back to the kitchen. "Look who we found Dora!"
Andromeda glanced over her shoulder - and sighed with relief upon seeing that her daughter had normal ears. "Hi, Nymphadora," she said with a smile. "Come see Mummy."
Ted let her down to the floor so she could run to Andromeda. "Someone's excited for the party. She liked the decorations though! Or maybe she liked being high enough to tap them with her hands..."
She leaned over and lifted her daughter onto her hip, settling her in easily. "Happy birthday, love!"
Nymphadora grinned and clapped happily. "Party?" She asked, giggling.
Ted quickly retreated to find the camera. "Party!" He affirmed, snapping a picture of his wife and daughter.
"I said of her, not me," Andromeda informed him, but she smiled and stroked Nymphadora's cheek. "There's cake and presents," she added. "For you."
"Cake?" Nymphadora echoed excitedly. "CAKE!"
"We need pictures of you too, 'Dromeda," Ted smiled, snapping another couple of Dora.
"Cake," she confirmed. "Come, blow out the candle? Mummy will help."
Nymphadora nodded vigorously. "Please, Mummy!"
"Should we sing?" Ted asked, holding the camera at the ready.
"Of course, it's not a birthday without singing." Nevermind that she never got the singing growing up.
"Just double checking," he replied. "She only turns two once, yeah?" Ted almost felt more excited about this than Dora.
"She'd better only turn two once." She shifted Nymphadora, who, admittedly, was getting to be a little big to be held for terribly long. "Ready, love? We'll sing and then we'll blow out the candles."
"Ready!" Nymphadora cheered.
"Here goes," Ted said, holding the camera up as he and Andromeda started singing. He snapped a few more pictures, wanting to document the moment as much as possible.
"Go on, blow the candle out," Andromeda encouraged after they had finished, hoping for the best. Her daughter was two and liked messes - which is why they were still in the kitchen - but again, she was hopeful.
Ted took a few more pictures as Dora blew the candles out. He held his breath as he saw her reach for the icing. "Dora-"
But at that point, it was far too late. She'd managed to grab a fistful of cake and was making an absolute mess of herself and everyone she could get near - specifically, her mother.
"Nymphadora," she started, but realized it was fruitless, and just started to laugh instead.
Ted's jaw dropped, but the sight of Andromeda and Dora covered in cake was too funny. He started laughing as well. "Time for another picture!" He said, snapping one before Andromeda could protest.
"Not right now!" She figured it was too late, though. "Nymphadora, cake is to eat. Not play with."
Ted laughed when Dora pouted. "Don't you want a piece of cake, Dora?"
"Cake and then presents," Andromeda reminded their daughter. "I think Auntie Hestia sent one."
"Presents?" Nymphadora asked, turning her head to the side.
"Exactly. But cake first," she insisted. "With a fork, properly."
"Ladylike the way Mummy does it," Ted added with a smile.
"Cake!" Nymphadora cheered, clinging to her mother with cake covered hands.
"We're going to have to wash the entire kitchen, at this rate," Andromeda told Ted while she maneuvered a piece of cake onto a small plate. "All right, let's go sit, love."
Nymphadora sat as her mother told her when she was able. "Cake!"
"I sort of figured that was going to happen," Ted replied to Andromeda. "But she only turns two once!" He'd help clean up, even if it meant he'd be up all night studying later.
"Only two once," she repeated. "Okay, Nymphadora, go ahead," she encouraged. "Eat now, presents after."
Nymphadora grinned and started eating her cake in big bites.
Ted took a few more pictures. "Only two once, but the pictures will last forever," he grinned, snapping another of Andromeda.
"Shoo," she informed him, trying to brush him off. "Her birthday, not mine."
"Careful or I'll start documenting how messy you keep your things."
He grinned. "I think it would pain you more than me."
"It does. Trust me." She made a face. "Hurts me in an awful way."
"Like cake in the face," Ted replied in amusement.
"Watch it," she warned, though clearly not terribly serious. "Oh Ted, this is a disastrous mess."
"No one is here to see it but us and the birthday girl, who is clearly enjoying herself," Ted comforted her by putting his arm around her waist.
"Oh good, the cleaning this place will need ..." She trailed off. "She seems to like it, at least?"
"She does," Ted replied. "And with your master cleaning charms, it'll be no time at all!"
"Don't exaggerate! Nymphadora makes them almost useless, she's like a little tornado." Andromeda watched the now two-year-old closely. "I'm just waiting for her to make this worse."
"She's two. She's supposed to make messes," Ted told Andromeda.
"It doesn't mean it doesn't test my patience."
"I know," Ted said, rubbing her back lightly.
"I'm going to start cleaning," she decided. "Want to sit with her while she eats? I'll stop when she's ready for presents."
Ted couldn't help but be amused. "Love to," he said, kissing her cheek.
"Good. Let me know." And with that, Andromeda grabbed up the nearest dishcloth and began wiping down the counter that Nymphadora had had her way with.