"Teddy!" Victoire said picking the blue haired boy out easily from the rest of the crowd. "Teddy! Look! I'm a prefect!!!" she said running to him, showing her badge clearly.

"Victoire, no running in the corridors, you know that." He said sternly, never directly meeting her eyes. He looked anywhere but at her.

"Okay, Mr. Head Boy!" she said with a giggle and a smirk. Victoire still secretly wondered how Teddy hot to be Head Boy, or even a Prefect for that matter. Teddy was usually the culprit behind all the pranks and mishaps that happened around Hogwarts. And Victoire was usually his right-hand gal, so it was a big shock when she got her badge this summer.

Bill reckons it was Harry's doing. Wanting the best for his niece and godson, he may have bribed Headmistress Luna Longbottom into sending those badges.

"I'm serious Victoire. Being a Prefect is a position of authority. You have an influence over the other students. If you are unable to take this job responsibly, I may just have to talk to the Headmistress. Being a Prefect is a privilege that can easily be taken away." He gave her a hard look then walked away.

* *~ ~ })i({ ~ ~ * *

"What's up with Teddy?" Victoire asked her cousin, and fellow prefect, James, while taking a bite of a cauldron cake.

They were supposed to be on Prefect rounds on the second floor, but they just sat on a conjured couch near the entrance to one of the second floor classrooms and ate sweets. They would glance at James' father's map every now and then to see if they need enforce any rules.

"Wow, even to you?" James said, wide-eyed. Victoire gave him a quizzical look and shoved a pumpkin pastry in her mouth. "Well, during the summer, he stayed pretty much up in his room. He only came down for supper and lunch. He would wake up before us and eat breakfast. The only person he would talk to willingly was dad. Whenever we talked to him, he would get really stiff and put up an attitude." James explained.

"He did that to me today!" Victoire said.

"We thought it was just because he missed you. You two were joined at the hip, and we thought he was just upset because you went to France for the summer. But, I guess, if he's acting that way to you as well, that can't be it." He glanced at the map, cursed and stood up and vanished the couch and the sweets on it while Victoire plopped to the ground with an "oomph!"

"Ah, speak of the devil. Teddy's coming!" he hissed.

They pretended to have been walking around the whole time and when he approached them, they nodded and he caught Victoire's eyes and quickly left. Victoire stood there, stunned. She made up her mind and hurriedly walked to catch up, being careful not to run. She ignored James' whispered protests.

"Teddy! Teddy, wait up!" she grabbed his forearm and pulled him to a stop. She faced him and tried to look in his eyes but he refused.

"I have to go." He mumbled. "I'm supposed to be doing a sweep."

"Don't lie to me Teddy. I know you're off duty tonight. Don't sell me some lame excuse. Talk to me!" when he kept quiet, she stamped her foot in exasperation. "Damn you Theodore! What the hell is wrong?!"

He looked at her and she saw a tear leak out of his dark purple eyes. In the dim light she could see his hair slowly fading to black, which it only ever does when he's in immense pain.

"Merlin," Victoire sighed. "What's wrong Ted" she said hugging him.

He stiffened, but did not push her away. "I can't be friends with you anymore." He said in a monotonous voice.

Her arms remained around him and he could feel her trembling. He wrapped his arms around her too. She looked up and when Teddy saw her tear streaked face, his eyes filled with tears as well. "Ted, you're kidding right? Please say you're kidding." Victoire pleaded. When the only answer she got was the grip on her tightening, she sobbed, "Why?!"

He took his left hand and rested it on her cheek. He wiped a falling tear from her face with his thumb and turned away. "I can't talk to you either." He said and left.

She collapsed on the floor and violently cried until James, looking at the map, noticed she was alone and ran to comfort her.

* *~ ~ })i({ ~ ~ * *

The only time Victoire ever saw Teddy was in passing. He kept true to his word, and since that miserable day in September, he hadn't uttered a sound to her. It was already December, and the only thing Victoire wanted for Christmas was her best friend back.

Alrighty then. Sorry this chapter is depressing. They won't all be, I promise. And they'll get longer too. The next chapter is done, but probably won't be up here for a while, so please bear with me. And check out my poll!