Author's Note: This idea came to me a few days ago, and although I'm meant to be working on my other story, Wrath of Merlin, I wanted to write it down. Originally intended to be part of a larger Teddy/Victoire fic (which I may get to writing one day) it turned out pretty well as a oneshot.
Please read and review if you enjoyed it!
INTOXICATING
a Teddy & Victoire story
–
"Teddy! Teddy!" Victoire yelled, clutching a bottle of Ogden's Finest.
He turned to see her make her way through the throng of students in the Gryffindor Common Room, and latch onto his arm.
"I'm drunk, Teddy," she added, swaying slightly.
"I didn't notice," he smirked.
"Prat," she glared at him. "I know you noticed. I notice when you're noticing."
She grinned, pleased with herself, and in spite of himself, so did he.
"What're you drinking?"
A serious expression crossed her face, and her eyes narrowed in thought. "Alcohol."
He laughed.
"Stop it!" She let go of his arm, and folded her across her chest, annoyed.
He laughed louder. He couldn't help it. Victoire was an adorable drunk.
She was always adorable.
"Teddy! Don't…don't laugh at me."
Her tone had changed, and he stopped to look at her again. Her eyes had crinkled in the way that only he knew meant that she was hurt.
Instantly he knew he'd made a mistake.
"C'mere," he said, holding his arms out to her. "I'm sorry."
"S'alright, Teddy," she replied, her arms already around his waist.
Hugs made everything better.
The party was beginning to quieten down, it was well past midnight, and most of the younger students had made their way to bed.
Still holding Victoire in his arms, Teddy looked up through the window to see moonlight breaking through the clouds, and as always, was reminded of his father. Had he done the same, in this very room? Gotten drunk at a Quidditch party? Held a beautiful blonde girl in his arms? Wished he could find the words to tell her how he felt?
The same drunk blonde was now trying to lead to him onto the balcony.
"Teddy, I wanna go outside. To 'he balcony."
"It'll be cold, Vic."
"You're warm," she shrugged, as if that solved everything.
He grinned again. "Alright then, if my lady insists."
"She…she does," she affirmed, then spotted something. "…ooh, look!"
Teddy followed the direction of her pointed finger to see two snogging students, and looked back to her to see Victoire trying to wolf-whistle.
"Phftt! Eh, I can't do it," she complained.
Teddy stuck his thumb and forefinger in his mouth, and let out a piercing whistle. The two students jumped, embarrassed, and Victoire laughed delightedly.
They had made their way onto the balcony now. It was deserted, save for them, and they sat down with their backs to the wall. In the distance, they could see the lake glimmer in the pale light.
"Teddy?"
"Yeah, Vic?"
"Do…do you think I'm pretty?"
This came as a surprise. They'd never really talked about her looks. It hadn't ever mattered, and besides, with Teddy's ability as a Metamorphmagus, his appearance was more often the subject of focus.
Was she pretty?
No.
Pretty was an understatement. An injustice.
Breathtakingly beautiful was more like it.
"Eh, you're alright," he said, smirking.
"Teddy!"
"What?" he laughed.
"You think…you think-"
"I think you're beautiful, Victoire Weasley, and the first person to say otherwise is either blind or deluded."
Her answering smile was stunning.
"S'nice of you. Even if it's all lies."
"Like I'd ever lie to you," Teddy scoffed.
"Lies! Fibs! Tall...tall tales!"
"I'm not, I swear!"
"I don't believe you."
"Don't you trust me?" he said.
She'd been caught, and she knew it.
"Course I do, Teddy!" she said, adamantly.
"Good."
"Do you trust me too?"
"Always, Victoire," the pure conviction was strong in his voice.
Victoire looked at him, then narrowed her eyes.
"Lies!"
Teddy groaned, and she laughed.
They sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, each to their thoughts as the moon slid behind clouds, and the only illumination came from the few solitary lights of the castle.
Victoire stood, and motioned for him to do the same. He got up, and she slipped under his arm, resting it on her shoulder.
"Why did you ask me?" he questioned, curious.
"Ask what?"
"If I thought you were pretty."
"I don't know…I guess I wanted reassurance," she answered, her voice small.
"Oh."
"I overheard some girls talking about me the other day. They weren't nice," she admitted.
"Don't listen."
"You're such a...a guy!" she said.
"I'm glad you noticed," he quipped.
"You don't understand. It's not that easy to just ignore them!" she frowned.
"Alright, alright, look," he paused. "The best response you can give them is this: every single time you walk down a corridor, or into a classroom, or go anywhere at all, be so brilliant, so damn incredible, that anything they say won't make a difference."
"And how do I go about being 'so damn incredible' then?"
Teddy looked at her, drinking in the dazzling sight of her silhouette framed by window light.
"You already are," he murmured, loud enough only for her to hear.
Her eyes widened, and she studied him for a few seconds, playing with a strand of her silvery hair.
"Kiss me."
"What?"
"Kiss me."
"You…you're drunk, Victoire. It wouldn't be … right."
"Stop being so noble and kiss me!"
"Vic-"
He was cut off by her pressing her lips to his, and then all doubts disappeared from his mind altogether. Almost as quickly as she had put her lips to his, she broke away, unsure, her eyes questioning.
Taking a step to close the gap between them, and sliding one hand behind the back of her head, with the other pulling her tight to him, Teddy kissed her back. It was hot, inflaming…intoxicating. The wind had picked up, sending Victoire's hair streaming out like a pennant, and he deepened the kiss. She let out a little noise of satisfaction, and suddenly he was brought to his senses.
He couldn't do this. Not to her. Not to Victoire.
She wasn't some random drunk girl he could happily snog with no repercussions.
She was so, so much more.
He broke away.
"Wha-?" she said, looking at him again, confused.
"Victoire, I'm sorry. You're drunk, for Merlin's sake! I'm shouldn't have!" he berated himself.
"Teddy, it's-"
Her eyes widened, and she suddenly rushed to the ledge of the balcony, and vomited. Teddy went to her side, holding her hair off her face, as her stomach heaved again. His own stomach was rushed with a hurricane of conflicting emotion. Why had he down that? Did he really think so cheaply of her?
He was an idiot. A drunk, heartless, idiot.
And she deserved so much better than that.
He was snapped out of his reverie by her voice.
"Teddy," she said weakly, "Can we go back inside? I need to lie down…a couch."
"Yeah, course."
He led her back inside and to a couch in front of the fire. The room was practically empty now, drinks and decorations left abandoned for bed and rest.
He helped her take her boots off and lie down, and conjured a blanket which he tucked around her. Looking about, he quickly sourced a pillow for her, and drew up a chair so he could sit beside her.
"Open your mouth."
"Wha-?" she questioned.
"This'll get rid of the taste of the vomit," he replied, brandishing his wand.
With a flick, her mouth was clean. She could taste mint, and flashed a quick smile in thanks.
"Teddy?"
"…Yeah?" he replied tentatively.
She pulled out her hand from underneath the blanket, and held it in front of him.
"Don't ever let go."
Her slender fingers wrapped around his hand in a stronger-than-expected grip. He squeezed back.
"I won't. I promise."
"And don't go. Don't leave me."
"I won't. I'm here, Victoire. I'm here."
Already she was drifting off to sleep, a small smile on her face as her eyes closed. Teddy watched her until her steady breathing and the rise and fall of her chest told him she was asleep. Only then did he allow his head to fall back into the headrest of his seat, and close his eyes.
Dawn light shone through the windows, and the chirping of birds could be heard as they flitted through the trees on the Hogwarts grounds.
Groggily, Victoire opened her eyes, and focused. She was in the Gryffindor Common Room. Well, it could be worse.
Something, no, someone, had her hand. She twisted her head to see Teddy sprawled in the armchair, making little noises of slumber. Carefully, she retracted her hand. Last night was beginning to come back to her. Her headache wasn't as bad as it should've been, and she could still taste traces of mint.
The kiss. She remembered kissing him, and then…being sick.
Classy, Victoire. Way to show a guy how you feel. Kiss him, then throw up.
"V'toire…"
Teddy was waking. Blinking owlishly, he sat up, still groggy.
"Hey," she said.
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
"Vic, do you remember…look, there's something I have to tell you. And please don't be mad."
"I remember kissing you, Teddy," she said, matter-of-factly.
He instantly turned apologetic, looking down. "Victoire, I'm-"
She sat up, swung her legs out from under the blanket, and began to put her boots back on. Once she'd zipped them up, she smoothed down the front of her dress.
"Don't be sorry. There's nothing to be sorry for, Teddy. We were drunk."
"Yeah, we were. But-"
"And as I recall, I did kiss you first. I told you to kiss me too."
He nodded, still not making eye contact.
"And after all, you were just doing as you were told."
He met her gaze sharply. Her eyes were lit up and her grin was wicked.
"Doing as I was told?" he replied indignantly. "Doing as I was…you little-"
She began to laugh, a pealing sound that filled the room.
"You're a brat."
"Wait till your roommates hear about me taking advantage of you whilst drunk."
Teddy let a look of mock horror cross his face. "You wouldn't dare!"
Victoire raised her arms and stretched, catlike, before raising herself off the couch. Still wearing the same smirk, she sauntered off in the direction of the boy's dormitories.
Teddy looked on, alarmed that she might actually follow through with it - the endless smirks, jokes, the 'about time's' and the 'I told you so's' - they would be unbearable, not to mention the gossip…
Oh god no, not the gossip.
Teddy ran after her and caught her in the stairwell.
"Vic, you can't!" he grabbed her hand. "Think about all the-"
The smirk became a laugh.
"Ooh, big bad Teddy Lupin, Head Boy and werewolf to boot, scared of the Hogwarts rumour mill!"
"Rightly so, too…and I'm not a werewolf!" he retorted.
She moved to face him directly, and intertwined her fingers with his, running the pad of her thumb over the back of his hand.
He looked at her, taking in everything, where her boots met her slender legs, and up to the enticing hemline of her dress, to her lithe waist and to her face, framed by tousled silverly blonde hair.
She stared back, her eyes flicking down to his lips for a moment, then back to his eyes. She bit her lip.
Her thumb was still drawing circles on his hand.
"I won't say anything," she whispered, leaning in close to him.
"Good…," he trailed off, his voice soft.
And then her lips met his.
He moved his mouth against hers, and it was sweet, wonderful, perfect. If their kiss last night had been great, this one was phenomenal. He deepened the kiss. Her other hand had reached around to rest on the back of his neck, becoming entangled in the strands of his hair. He ran his own free hand down the arch of her spine to rest on the small of her back, and she shivered with pleasure at the touch. Time had no meaning as they held each other, locked together in their embrace.
Only the inevitable need for air drew them apart. Breathing deeply, Teddy stood there, looking into her eyes, his heart racing. For now, words were unnecessary. She knew him. She understood. She'd always understood.
"So what now?" he asked.
"You could kiss me some more," she said archly.
So he did.
THE END
A/N: Thanks for reading, and again, please review!