Teddy grinned when he saw his favorite head of blonde hair enter the Great Hall, bouncing as if by magic (which actually, given the circumstance, could definitely be a possibility). He watched as she sat down at the Ravenclaw table, giggling with her friends without a care in the world, too unconcerned to notice that he was staring at her.
"Hey, Teddy? You done staring at Weasley or do you need another minute?" asked his best friend, Isaac Ross. When Teddy didn't bother to respond, Isaac elbowed his in the gut. "Now you done?"
Teddy let out a quiet groan, rubbing his stomach, "and what, may I ask, was that for?"
"For staring at your sweet Vicky yet again. Sorry mate, but it's starting to get a tad annoying seeing you constantly drooling over her. I get she's part veela and all man, but come on, it's not that strong." Isaac was being sarcastic, but he regretted his choice of words once he saw that Teddy was about to go off of that tangent.
"It has nothing to do with her being an eighth veela- which, by the way, isn't that much in the first place- nor the fact that she's the most beautiful person I've ever had the pleasure of seeing in my lifetime. She's amazing, she's smart, she's driven, she's witty, she's powerful, she's funny- I mean, how many people do you know like that? She's perfect! And let's not mention-"
"Yes. Let's not mention, glad we're in agreement," interrupted Rosemary Flume as she sat down across from them, hardly bothering to carefully put down her mass of Hufflepuff Quidditch gear.
"We were once really good-" Teddy was interrupted again.
"Yes, we know, you were once very good friends, until you left for Hogwarts, and being the 'dynamic little ten-year-old' she was, she was so stubborn that she refused to owl you back ever again, and thus, the dreadful end," Rosemary continued for him, but in a much more mocking tone than Teddy would have preferred. In response, Teddy simply stuck his tongue out at her.
"Ooh, look at our very mature and in-love prefect, gag me," Isaac observed until he turned back to Rosemary to discuss the upcoming Quidditch match this weekend- which happened to be against a particular blonde's house. Teddy had decided that the match was the perfect opportunity to talk to Victoire, despite his friends' protests.
There was once a time when his friends supported his attraction to Victoire, but that quickly ended once they realized how much Teddy talked, but did little. Yes, he would go on about how perfect and lovely and amazing the girl was, but had he ever gotten up the nerve to ask her to Hogsmeade? That would be a hard no. Had he ever even gotten up the nerve to talk to her in the castle? Definitely not. It may have seemed strange, but the two rarely talked, even when at the Burrow. When they were the only little kids, they were inseparable, how could they not be? They were each other's first friends, only being a year apart, but it was easy being friends when they were kids in a sea of adults.
But then came Dominique, and Molly, and Fred, and James, and Louis, and Roxanne, and Lucy, and Rose, and Albus, and Lily, and finally, Hugo. As the Weasley and Potter children filed in, Victoire and Teddy grew apart. Victoire had to take on the role as the eldest Weasley because, although Teddy was an honorary family member, he didn't have to bear the name. Once all the kids arrived, Victoire and Teddy felt like they had to stop being kids, because they were the examples, the role models. None of the adults ever forced the duty on Teddy and Victoire, but it was impossible not to feel the pressure with a dozen cousins looking up at them. And then when Teddy left for Hogwarts, Victoire was left alone to be the eldest, with the closest person in age to her being Dominique, three years her junior. After that, Teddy and Victoire just never got a moment to be alone; there was always someone else there who wanted their attention.
Teddy tuned out the Quidditch talk, and instead chose to watch Victoire from across the room. She seemed so excited, talking to some of her fellow fourth-years. Seeing her smile filled Teddy with warmth, as if she radiated sunshine. He made no effort to hide the goofy grin appearing on his face. After all, it seemed as though everyone knew of Teddy's fancying of Victoire, but they mostly just assumed it had something to do with her veela genes, but he knew better.
Edward Lupin had loved Victoire Weasley from the moment he laid eyes on her. Although Harry says that all he did was start crying after she spit up on him, Teddy chooses to believe that he was crying because he was so happy to have a friend. He had been the only baby around for a full year, and he needed someone else to share the attention. The two of them grew up together, he indirectly taught her how to walk, how to talk, all of it (except for potty training, unfortunately for Teddy, she picked up on that a little quicker than him). When she was six, he taught her how to ride a bike, and he even put a band-aid on her when she fell, scrapper her knee, and accidentally used magic to throw her bike across the street (man, was that a strange sight for the muggles across the street). He loved her for all the times that she'd push him into the mud, or the pool, or literally anywhere else- she really liked to push him, for some reason. But when he loved her the most? When he can tell she thinks no one's watching, and she puts her hair up to see her book better. When she's not trying to impress anyone, that's when she really impresses him, and that's how he knows that he truly loves her.
Now if only she could feel the same way.
"I'm going to go talk to her," Teddy proclaimed suddenly and got up from the table, his friends sitting at the table looking at him like he'd grown a third head.
"You always say that. Literally, you said that yesterday," Isaac recounted, watching his friend with a little bit of pity.
"Well today, I'm going to do it." Teddy checked with a spoon to make sure his hair hadn't changed from his regular turquoise to a soft pink- something that tended to happen when he was watching Victoire, and then carefully stepped away from the Hufflepuff dining table. He began to stride over across the room when he ran into someone so small he hadn't noticed her before.
The girl exclaimed while her tiny body was pushed back, but her face softened when she saw the culprit. "Watch where you're going, Teddy."
"Really sorry, Eliza, I'll try to be more careful where I walk next time," Teddy replied, looking down at the brunette, while still trying not to lose Victoire; he was worried he just saw movement from her area of the room.
"It's fine, I'll live, see you… Around." Without giving him another glance, Eliza Runcorn walked over to sit at the Slytherin table, and Teddy thanked Merlin that his ex-girlfriend wasn't the mental-type, especially being that she broke it off because Teddy was a little too interested in someone else.
With no more distractions, Teddy resumed his stride to the Ravenclaw table, but he didn't see any golden head of hair. He inwardly groaned, and decided to suck it up and made his way to her friends. Millie Bones, Annie Goldstein, and Cassandra Vickers were sitting and chatting where Victoire had just been. "Uhm, excuse me," Teddy cleared his throat.
The three girls looking up at the Teddy with the surprise: Millie with confusion, Cassandra with annoyance, but Annie did her best to smile at him. With Annie's reassurance, he figured he had a shot. "I was wondering if you know where Vic- uh- Victoire went? I need to discuss something with her."
Annie opened her mouth to speak, but unfortunately, Cassandra was quicker, "I suppose she went to get ready for her date with Harrison King! Isn't that lovely? He's going to take her flying on the Quidditch pitch. So you'd better hurry along!" She exaggerated her excitement, in an attempt to stun him. Millie and Annie gave Cassandra a look, but the brunette just smiled innocently at them.
"Uhm, actually, she went to the library, something about fixing her Transfiguration essay," Annie interjected, giving Cassandra a sharp look. "She could probably use help from an OWL student."
Teddy's smile didn't waver once, despite the brunette's intentions. "Lovely then, thank you!" He cheerfully turned from the girls and began his stride again towards the door.
Teddy wasn't fazed by the news of Victoire's date, of course, she was asked on dates. Everyone went on dates and one of the most attractive girls in the school was no exception. But even though he wasn't upset, he cringed his nose at the thought of her going anywhere with Harrison King.
Harrison King was a sixth-year Gryffindor, who also happened to be Quidditch Captain, a fact that he readily told anyone and everyone about. He was pompous, arrogant, and he no-doubt wanted Victoire on his arm just to show around.
But that didn't matter, because Teddy was going to find her. Maybe he'd even be able to convince her to ditch the bloke and spend her Saturday afternoon with him. Maybe he wouldn't.
As Teddy walked into the library, he made eye contact with Ms. Pince and made a point to give her a bright smile and wave while secretly wondering how old one could possibly be because she must be ancient. And then he saw his beautiful head of blonde hair and his grin grew. He tried his best to look cool as he approached her, even staggering his way over, but even a Metamorphmagus couldn't hide that goofy smile.
"The process of adding animal parts to yourself? Wonder what that's like," Teddy joked, peaking over the girl's shoulder to look at her paper.
Victoire frowned when she felt a body much too close to hers and turned her head to the violator of her space. Her face had tensed up until she saw who the voice belonged to, but rather than relaxing, she gave Teddy a look indicating that she did not find his joke very amusing. "Oh, ha. Hi, Ted."
"Do you mind if I sit? I could give you some help if you want," Teddy offered, still giving her his winning smile; he only wished she would reciprocate it.
Victoire's eyebrows pulled together, confused and surprised by the offering. She couldn't even remember the last time she and Teddy spoke, and now he wants to help her with her homework? "Uhm- yeah, sure," she finally answered, moving her bag from the seat. As the boy sat down, Victoire noticed that he didn't have anything with him- no book, no bag- nothing to indicate why he was at the library in the first place. "Were you here to find a book? I don't want to distract you."
Teddy's grin grew even brighter when she accepted his offer and he made way to sit down. When she asked for his reasoning for being at the library, Teddy felt the tips of his hair reddening, but quickly stopped the transformation. "Oh, yeah, I was looking for a book on, uhm, the War. You know, the Second one, with Harry and them" Teddy could tell that Victoire was still confused so he hastily added, "I just wanted to know some more about it before Harry comes and lectures my class on it. But, the book I wanted was checked out, and so I saw you and decided to chat."
The blond gave him a small smile and nodded, turning back to her parchment. Victoire preferred to spend as little time as possible talking about the War as it was always a sore spot for her. Having to spend every birthday of your life mourning and remembering the War, while feeling guilty about her resentment, tended to do that.
Victoire forced a smile on her face as she looked back up to him. "So, what can you show me that'll help me with my essay?" She raised an eyebrow slightly, trying desperately to change the subject.
"Hmmm, how about…" Teddy turned his head around and felt himself sprouting a pig's snout. He turned back around to her. "Ta-da!"
This time, Victoire let out a genuine laugh, though it was quiet and short once she remembered that they were still in the library. "Very impressive, not sure how it helps my essay, but very cute."
Teddy's eyebrow quirked ever so slightly, so slight that Victoire didn't even notice. Cute. She thought he was cute? Or did she just find piglets cute? Cute. Interesting.
"You might be right," Teddy chuckled while turning his nose back to normal. "Might not help anyone who's not a Metamorphmagus, but at least you had a laugh."
"Of that you're correct."
And silence, unfortunately, followed. Neither the blue-haired boy nor the blond-haired girl could think of anything else to add on to the conversation. Neither of them had been alone for this long in Merlin-knows how long, and it was evident in the uncomfortable silence.
Victoire coughed. "So, how have you been? I never got to congratulate you on becoming a prefect." She glanced down at his badge.
"Hm?" Teddy pulled on his shirt to look at the yellow badge, "oh, yeah. I'd almost forgotten about that. Thank you." He chuckled again, but could feel the silence creeping back onto them. "And congrats on becoming Ravenclaw seeker, I'm sure Charlie and Harry are very proud. I look forward to seeing you catch the snitch next match."
Victoire gave him a quizzical look, "you do realize we're playing against your house, don't you?"
"Hey, I said I look forward to watching you catch the snitch. I also look forward to Hufflepuff winning just by scoring goals on your sorry excuse of a Keeper." Teddy smirked, teasing her.
Victoire's eyes narrowed and Teddy gulped, worried he'd offended her. When he was just about to retract his comment, Victoire replied. "I didn't realize you were so keen on Quidditch, Ted. Last I remember, you wouldn't even join in on a family game."
"Well that was before the players became so… Intriguing."
Teddy expected her to waver after his response, but instead she replied almost immediately, "Exactly. That's why I make it a point to pursue those who play, not sit by idly and watch." Victoire looked down at her book nonchalantly, as if she hadn't just verbally punched him in the gut.
Ouch, Teddy thought, almost cringing by her words. Was that her way of saying she wasn't interested in him because he didn't play Quidditch? "Is that why you're going flying with King?"
This time, Victoire made no attempt to hide her reaction, her eyes darting up to meet his. "How do you even know about that? You're not friends with Harrison."
Teddy was carful not to mention talking to her friends, "oh, you know, word flies around Hogwarts quick as pixies."
Victoire gave him an irritated look, "is that what this is about? You're trying to protect me and warn me about a boy?" Teddy couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but something about her mannerisms made him think that she was a bit disappointed.
"No, I'm here because I like you, and I want to know you, Victoire." He was done with the teasing, done with the insinuating; he wanted her to know what he meant.
"You've known me since I was a baby," Victoire said, but Teddy could tell even she didn't believe in the words she was saying.
"You know exactly what I mean. And if you feel the same way, you'll come find me. Till then, I'll be cheering you on at the match." He stood up from his chair, as Victoire stared at him, almost as if he had hit her with a stunning charm. "Good luck on the essay, Vicky." And with that, he was gone in a flash, leaving the blonde to stare at the spot where the lanky boy once was.
Victoire didn't know what was more astonishing: that she'd just had a proper conversation with Teddy Lupin, or that she had just been called a nickname she hadn't heard since she was a kid. What had just happened? Was their whole conversation just a way to confuse the living daylights out of her? Had he used the opportunity to get her off her game just in time for the match?
She almost snorted out loud, something her mother had often reminded her to suppress. As if Teddy Lupin could or would sabotage her game. He was far too nice and she was far too competitive for that situation to ever happen.
So what was his purpose? He wants to know her, what did that even mean? And what was that about Quidditch players being intriguing? She had played it off as well as she was able, but the comment had stuck out in her mind.
"Come on, focus," Victoire muttered to herself as her attention went back to her paper. The only unfortunate fact, though, was that her essay only made her think about a certain Hufflepuff even more, and she eventually abandoned the assignment and left the library.
Although the eldest Weasley would like to say that no one and nothing, especially not some boy, could distract her from goals, she began noticing her mind drifting to Teddy Lupin more times than she would prefer over the course of a week. In Herbology, she found herself almost being bitten by a snapping tulip, which embarrassingly ended up in Professor Longbottom snatching it away just before it took Victoire's finger. In Quidditch practice, she was almost hit with a bludger, had it not been for Terry Wood, her captain, knocking it out of the way. Even during her so-called "date" with Harrison, she found herself drowning out the fellow seeker's tips (not that she'd asked or was interested in) in favor to think about- well, you know who.
She was bothered by how much she cared over some boy. Except, of course, this wasn't just some boy; this was Teddy Lupin. Yes, Victoire had denied it over the years, but there was once a time where Teddy was the most important person in her life, in line with her parents. And she missed him just as much as she assumed he missed her. But she was worried. Victoire didn't want anyone to hold so much power over her; she didn't want someone to see right through her, no matter how much she tried to hide what she was feeling. And she knew that if anyone could do that, it was Teddy. She might not speak to him, or even know him at all, but Victoire hadn't forgotten to pay attention. She noticed the way he was with her cousins, with her family. She noticed his kindness, and his humor, and what a good person he was, much better than who she was.
She was too scared to be close because she was too scared to be the one who's forgotten. Yes, Victoire knew that she was smart and a talented Quidditch player, but she also knew what it was like to be constantly overshadowed. At home, her ever-growing family always had someone new to fawn over and take care of. At Hogwarts, her surname was more important than she ever could be. Even on her birthday, she could never be the center of attention, and she felt guilty, but she wished that, just once, she could have a cake and some singing.
And the worst part? Victoire knew she had no right to complain. She had an amazing family, and she was lucky to be apart of it, but they seemed impossible to live up to. And her birthday should and would always come second to remembering a day when so many people suffered.
But still, Victoire felt overshadowed, and she knew that Teddy Lupin would just make it worse.
So when she heard him cheering for her during the match, and then flashing his hair to blue and bronze for a quick moment, Victoire ignored him. She didn't laugh, she didn't smile, she didn't even acknowledge that she'd seen him; she just kept looking for the snitch.
That game ended just as Teddy had predicted: Ravenclaw caught the snitch, but Hufflepuff scored just enough points to win the game. Despite the personal win, the victorious (ha- Victoire, victorious, get it?) wasn't feeling very well of herself. She should have noticed Flume score a goal just as Victoire was about to catch the snitch, and she should have waited. But instead, she caught it, thus letting her team down. She shouldn't have let herself be so distracted.
Huffing, she threw her uniform into her trunk as she headed to shower, mentally cursing herself and Teddy Lupin in a mixture of French and English.
Luckily for her, the weeks following the game were quiet on the Teddy and Victoire front (or should I say Teddy versus Victoire front?). Teddy was waiting for her to come to him, but unfortunately for him, she promised herself that that day would never come. He'd already messed up her game, he'd already started ruining her life, and she wasn't going to have it.
And so came Christmas holiday, a time that Victoire usually was thrilled to arrive. As much as she loved Hogwarts, home was where her heart was, and she was excited to see the rest of her family. She loved everything about Christmas: the gifts, the snow, having all the cousins together in one place; there was nothing she could complain about. It was her favorite time of the year.
Teddy also loved Christmas holiday. He loved seeing his grandmother, Harry, the children, and all of his honorary family, but at the same time, he always felt like something was missing. He knew he was loved, and he knew he had people to count on, but he still always wished to have a family, and he meant really have a family. He wanted to have parents. But he didn't. Instead, he had a lovely grandmother whom he loved. He also had Harry and Ginny, who had acted to him, not as parents per say, but as the next best thing. He was grateful for all he had, but on some level, he wished for more, but there was nothing he could do or change about his situation, so he pushed those feelings aside.
But there was the problem of each other. Holiday meant Teddy and Victoire being together for the first time since their odd conversation in the library. Since Teddy put his thoughts out on the table, and since Victoire had sworn to keep hers hidden deep inside, they were at a stalemate. Neither was thrilled about the situation, but neither could deny that they had a longing to see each other again.
The two were able to successfully avoid one another up until they arrived at King's Cross Station. Teddy, Victoire, and Dominique were the only children in the family who'd yet to attend Hogwarts, so it was to Victoire's aggravation when the only Weasley red hair she saw on the platform belonged to her Aunt Ginny and cousin Lily.
"Your parents got stuck at Gringotts and asked us to pick you up while we got Teddy, but they said they'll be home soon," Harry explained to the girls.
"Oh, that's all right, they're busy people," Victoire replied, faking a laugh while hugging her family. She couldn't help but feel overshadowed, yet again.
Teddy could feel the fakeness in her voice and took the opportunity to change the subject, "and I see you've brought my favorite godsister!" He scooped up the little redhead as she squealed and giggled with joy.
"Yes, she refused to stay with Mum because she was too excited to see you all," Ginny answered while giving Dominique a tight hug. "Well, if we have everything, we'd better be going, everyone's dying to see you. And I'm dying to hear about Quidditch."
"And I'm dying to hear about what it's like being the first Weasley ever to be in Slytherin," Harry interjected, referring to Dominique.
Victoire made a face at the mention of Quidditch, but her sister was eager to discuss her immense happiness in Slytherin and that she hopes she can change what the family may think about the house. Thank Merlin for the younger girl, Victoire thought. Dominique had taken all Harry and Ginny's attention away, and although sitting next to her in the small car, Teddy was much too distracted by little Lily to have to interact with Victoire.
She had been overshadowed again, but this time, she was mostly thankful for it.
Christmas Eve had finally arrived, and Teddy couldn't be more excited. Him and his gran Andromeda were getting ready to go over to the annual Weasley Christmas party, which they were welcomed to and attended every year.
As Teddy adjusted his hair, he took a long look at himself in the mirror. He was lanky and skinny, he wore his natural light brown eyes most of the time, but he was known to absentmindedly take on the color of whom he was talking to, and his hair was his signature turquoise. He wasn't unhappy with how he looked, and technically, he could look however he wanted, but he wondered if he'd ever be enough. He wasn't a gifted Quidditch player, strong and built, and he wasn't the top in all his classes, but he liked himself. Teddy knew he was a good person and a good friend. He was the perfect Hufflepuff, so to speak, and he was proud of who he was. But that didn't mean that he didn't have certain doubts creeping in the back of his mind.
"Edward, are you ready? Make sure to bring your dress robes too, you have no right to conveniently 'forget' again," Andromeda called from the lower level and Teddy chuckled to himself, picking up his bag and taking a deep breath. Was he ready? Hopefully.
The party started off with a bang, literally. George and Ron had brought all kinds of fireworks to set off outside, and even though Grandma Molly complained about them ruining the canopy, there was no denying the smile on her face all of her grandkids looked delighted. It was a lovely party, and everyone was having a good time. Victoire was leading a game of Quidditch with the older cousins, and Teddy was entertaining the young ones by pretending to be a troll and chasing them around the garden.
Everyone was having a pleasant time. That is, until the older kids' match came to an end, and the little kids seemed to be getting bored and distracted. When it seemed like there was nothing else to do except go back inside, Dominique spoke up.
"I've got an idea. How about we play broomstick tag? Perfect for all ages!" Her voice was cheerful, but there was an unmistakable twinkle in her eye that was similar to that of her Uncle George. "Younger versus Older kids?"
"Or better yet, boys versus girls!" Fred suggested, and the rest of the group seemed to agree, with the exception of the eldest two.
"Dom, I'm not sure if that's such a great idea…" Victoire began.
"Yeah, I mean, the age gap is much too large," added Teddy, nodding to the oldest Weasley, their first interaction in months.
Victoire nodded, "exactly, a 5 year-old should not be going up against someone 10 years older than him." They were working together for once, but their reasoning seemed to be ignored by their younger audience, who all just pouted in reply.
But Dominique just smirked, "fine, you old bores, Victoire and Teddy won't play, and the gap will only be six years, fair enough?" The rest of the kids nodded and the two teens made no attempt to argue any further. "Instead, you two will be our referees." When her older sister gave her a pointed look, Dominique innocently added, "to make sure nothing gets too aggressive for the little ones, of course." Victoire swore there was some smugness in her sister's voice and her grip on her broomstick tightened.
"Only problem with that- I don't have a broomstick with me, and I'm not much of flier anyhow, so I'll just sit out and watch," Teddy quickly tried to give out excuses, but the look on Dominique's face was too determined to back down.
"No, then it'll be unfair, only having a girl referee, isn't that right, boys?" The boys all nodded as though they'd thought of the absurd idea.
Teddy had continued shaking his head until a little hand began tugging on the end of his shirt. "Pleeeease, Teddy. I want you to stay!" Lily gave him a face no one, not even Voldemort himself, could refuse and Teddy conceded.
"Lovely! And since you have no broom, how about you join ole' Vicky there on the back of her broomstick. You, of course, don't mind sharing with your fellow referee, do ya, Vic?" Dominique looked sly, and Victoire could tell that her sister had manipulated the situation for a reason. Exactly what that reason was, Victoire wasn't sure. But with her many cousins looking up at her expectedly, she had no other choice but to accept and fake a smile.
Teddy, on the other hand, was not quite as good as hiding his feelings. He could feel his face getting warmer and the tips of his hair getting redder, which he forced to suppress. He walked towards the tallest blond, making sure not to make eye contact, and waited as the little ones all went to get their broomsticks. He stood there, hands in his pockets, and trying to pretend that he was anywhere else.
Victoire, on the other hand, stood in the same spot, standing tall with a blank face. The only real physical indication of her feelings was her tightened grip on her broomstick. Knuckles now as white as her hair itself, she felt her hand getting sore and ignored it. The only similarity between the two young adults in body language was that neither looked in the direction of the other, avoiding eye contact all together. Had the children been older, they would have noticed the tension, but at that time, it was only Dominique who could tell something was going on, which was why she was going to do her best to push the situation.
"Alright! Everybody ready? Ah-hem, referees- that means you as well." Victoire almost rolled her eyes at her sister, but stopped herself when she saw all the little kids watching her. She mounted the broomstick and bit her tongue when she felt Teddy climb on as well. She lifted them up into the air. Teddy made sure not to touch the girl anywhere, but he could already feel his balance failing him. Once Dominique saw they were ready, she continued, "I'll be It first, and we'll start from there. No pushing, shoving, and absolutely no crying, got it? Good luck, everyone! Go!"
The game was both incredible and massively stressful to watch, especially for the poor referees. Victoire was trying her best to stay focused and was ready to catch anyone just in case. They were only playing a few meters up, but that didn't mean it wouldn't hurt to fall down.
Which is exactly what the blonde knew would happen when her clumsier counterpart almost fell off of the broom. "Put your hands on my waist," Victoire ordered through gritted teeth, sounding much more like Headmistress McGonagall than she'd ever wished for.
"Excuse me?" Teddy replied, not sure he clearly heard what she'd said.
"If you fall, I'm not going to catch you, so hold on, or break your bloody arm," Victoire hissed at him, trying to make sure none of her siblings or cousins heard.
Teddy knew she was right, because he was hardly holding on as is. He carefully scooted closer and put his hands on her waist. Despite the reluctance, he felt a tingle in his stomach from the contact and couldn't help but smell her hair. He was more than surprised by her scent- he'd expected lavender, or some other type of flower, but no. Her hair smelled strongly of pine, as if she'd taken bits of a Christmas tree and stuck it in there. It was pleasant and made him smile, even though he knew he shouldn't care. He pulled his head back, turning his attention to the kids playing instead.
Feeling his hands on her waist made Victoire feel a lump in her throat, which she tried desperately to gulp down. His hands felt stronger than she'd expected, and despite the fact that he was holding onto her for safety, she felt safe in his grasp, which made her feel even more ridiculous. How could this have happened? Could it be possible that she had fallen for Teddy Lupin? They'd not spoken for years, and then suddenly, what? He fancies her, and she might fancy him back? He made her feel silly- stupid even. He was the only boy she knew that made her feel… Insecure with herself. She longed for the game to be over just as much as she longed for his hands to stay on her waist forever. Her mind was battling with her heart, and suddenly, Victoire felt like such a cliché falling for her childhood best friend. And then she realized that she wasn't paying attention to watching out for her siblings and cousins, and again mentally cursed herself for being distracted by a boy. She made it a point to turn all her attention back onto the game, and forced herself to ignore the hands on her waist.
When the agonizing hour of the game finally ended when Grandma Molly came out and ordered them all to go to their guest rooms and change for dinner, the two teenagers couldn't be more relieved. Teddy went up to the attic, the room he was most accustomed to staying in at the Burrow. He shared the room with Fred and James, but the two of them were too busy discussing whatever nine-year olds discuss for Teddy to pay attention.
Every time another child was added to the Weasley line, another room was added to the Burrow. By now, the house was practically the size of a muggle hotel, and that made it the perfect place for the whole family to get together. Christmas, especially, was one of the most important Weasley gatherings, and it was a night where all of the grandchildren- and Teddy- stayed over to celebrate together. Usually, most of the adults went home for the night and came back in the morning, which made the occasion even more special for the children.
Victoire, along with Dominique and Molly, went up to the third floor to the room they normally shared, and it wasn't until Molly excused herself to go to the loo that Victoire indicated that anything was wrong.
"What's your game at, Dominique? Were you purposely using your veela charm?" the older sister questioned. They'd agreed that it wasn't fair to use whatever charm they had to manipulate their family members.
The younger of the two rolled her eyes, "you guys obviously have had tension since we came back from Hogwarts; I was just trying to help you out. And as far as the charm goes, no, I just happen to be that good." She smirked at her sister, "what can I say? My plan worked perfectly."
Victoire stood there looking cross at her sister, her arms folded. "Whatever you think is going on between that one and me isn't real, we hardly speak as is. Anyone would have found sharing a broomstick uncomfortable."
"What I think is going on is that you two fancy each other, and refuse to admit it. Why you won't though, I couldn't tell you, so I thought I'd give you a kick in some direction." Dominique shrugged at her and gave her an innocent grin while picking up her clothes and heading to the closet. Right before walking in though, she turned to Victoire, "oh, and I may have switched out your oh-so boringly conservative dress for something with a little more, hmm, spice. Make sure to look nice for your boyfriend." And with that, the eleven year-old winked at her sister and shut the door behind her, leaving Victoire staring at it with a scowl etched on her face.
Once everyone was cleaned up and in his or her formal attire (a tradition that Charlie went on a long, tiresome rant about every year after a few cups of firewhiskey), they made way to the magically-warmed tent outside to devour Molly's never-ending Christmas dinner. The table was long, long enough so that the adults and the children could all sit together. Arthur sat at the head of the table, surrounded by his wife and children, and at the other end, James and Fred were arguing about who deserved to sit at the other head.
Just as Victoire was about to intervene, Teddy appeared behind the chair they were fighting over. "How about we let Hugo sit here? Oldest at that end, youngest at this, all right?" Neither James nor Fred looked happy, but Hugo was visibly delighted and climbed up into the seat when no one argued. Frowning just slightly, Victoire wondered if she would have been able to fix the situation as well as Teddy had.
When Teddy saw Victoire in her dress robes, his determination to avoid her waivered. The blue-haired boy looked over at the tall blonde, deliberating whether or not to sit near her. She was right in the middle of the children and adults, and had turned away to talk to Ginny, probably about the last Quidditch match they'd had. Nodding to himself, Teddy made way to sit across from Victoire and next to Hermione, but was stopped by a mini-version of Ginny.
"I want to sit with you, Teddy!" Lily exclaimed, grinning. "Can we sit by Hugo, please?"
"Yeah, Teddy, can you come over here and tell us about Hogwarts again?" asked Lucy, who also happened to be sitting what felt like a world away from the oldest Weasley.
When the other little kids nodded eagerly in agreement, Teddy mentally groaned and nodded, trying to smile at the young girls. "Of course, where do you want me?" He ended up sitting in the middle of the youngest children, more than far enough away from Victoire for the pair to ever speak to each other, let alone look at each other. He glanced down her way, but she seemed to be much more interested in what Hermione was saying than to even bother caring about where he sat.
However, Victoire did care. She noticed when a majority of her cousins begged for Teddy to sit with them, to tell them stories about Hogwarts. She tried to ignore the pained feeling in her chest, she tried to listen to Hermione's advice about what OWLs to take, but she kept feeling inferior again.
None of her family had bothered asking her to sit with them, to tell them her stories, with the exception of her aunts. Her cousins hadn't noticed her enough to beg for her to sit with them, and Victoire tried to ignore, but she couldn't help it. Teddy always made her feel like this. She was reminded all over again why she chose to repress her feelings, why she chose to avoid him; it was all just too painful for her to be around.
And Merlin forbid if they'd ever start dating. It was enough feeling overshadowed by him at home, but to have to feel that way in a relationship? Victoire didn't think her self-esteem could handle it. The only reason her family would be happy wouldn't be for her- but it'd be because that could end up with Teddy really becoming part of the family.
The girl inwardly sighed, quickly eyeing the boy who was telling some story while morphing parts of his face to make the children laugh. How could she ever compete with that? So she turned back, putting her full attention on her aunts and their conversation, ignoring the other side of the table all-together.
Neither Teddy nor Victoire enjoyed their meal very much. Yes, it was delicious, thanks to Grandma Molly and all those who'd helped. However, both the teens were distracted by the other sitting across the table. It was remarkable how often their eyes found the other, but how neither had noticed the other watching him or her as well. Luckily for them, no one had noticed their lingering looks, all enthralled by their own conversations.
And then came night, when the gathering was moved indoors and the little ones were sent to bed with the excitement of Father Christmas arriving later. Molly and Dominique were the only children old enough to be allowed to stay up for the party, but both of them had mysteriously disappeared, leaving Victoire to fend for herself.
She weeded through the crowd of partially drunk redheads. Ron and Charlie seemed to be the most gone, playing the piano quite badly and singing carols off key. Hermione was trying to act annoyed, but it was evident on her face that she found the charade amusing. Victoire carefully searched for a mess of bright blue hair, but couldn't find it. She felt herself relaxing, assuming that the person she was avoiding was off reading someone a bedtime story or another. Or perhaps he was avoiding her all the same. This time, without looking carefully, Victoire made her way across the room to the kitchen, hoping to find some leftover treacle tart.
That was, until she collided with a rather lanky body. She grimaced as she looked up, expecting to see the worst, but to her surprise, it was her uncle Ron. Except that it wasn't. Yes, it was Ron's face, but her uncle was across the room singing, and this Ron's hair had begun to change from a natural ginger to a rather artificial red color.
Victoire pursed her lips as the impersonator's hair and face begin morphing into his true self, looking, not quite as menacing as the girl, but irritated all the same.
"Sorry," was all Teddy said, but there was no sincerity in his voice. It was odd to see Teddy without a smile, but his own anger at her was bright as day. He'd told her how he felt, he'd supported her, been as nice as he possibly could, and she refused to even glance his way. She thought she was better than him, and that he wasn't worth her precious time. Well, fine then, maybe he'd finally stop trying.
Without saying a word, Victoire glared at him and stepped away. Or more accurately, tried to step away. When she felt her feet unable to move, she just tried harder, but then she groaned, looking up above her head.
Teddy looked up at the same time she had and took a hard breath inward. Of course, levitating mistletoe. Levitating and magical mistletoe. The kind that trapped you under it until you kissed the other person. Now that was a tradition worth throwing away, Teddy thought.
"I'm not kissing you," Victoire stated flatly. Her face was determined, and despite the fact that she was scowling at him, Teddy felt his anger melt away and a smile forming. This why was he still liked her, even after all these years. She was strong, and could stand up to anyone if she needed to; it had been the reason she'd always impressed him.
At the sight of his smile, Victoire felt her own anger melting away and her scowl fading. As if her eyes were moving on their own, she found hers staring into his soft brown eyes. She wanted to look away, and she really tried to, but it wasn't long until she'd noticed the gold flecks in them. She would have been able to look away had his eyes not been locked with hers; she felt even more stuck, but not because of any magic.
He was staring deeply into her bright blue eyes, trying desperately to read her face. He'd never been one to confidently decipher what someone was thinking, but he'd also never tried so adamantly. He couldn't translate her thoughts and suddenly wished that he'd tried harder to learn legilimency. But it was then that he noticed her eyes dart below his eyes; she was looking at his lips.
And all of a sudden, whatever problems the pair had been having were forgotten. The two of them forgot that they were still surrounded by Weasleys and Potters, none of them noticing what was happening in the darkly lit room. The world seemed to melt away for Victoire and Teddy, and all they could seem to focus on was the other. Both of them were slowly leaning in, seemingly forgetting whatever consequences could be following what they were about to do. Teddy's eyes closed, but rather than kissing the blonde's lips, he was met with her cheek, bringing him back to reality.
Confused, Teddy opened his eyes to look at Victoire, but all he could see was her glowing hair bouncing away, and at a very quick pace. He stood there dumbfounded, trying to understand what had just happened. Had she been playing him? Trying to lead him on, only to reject him so outwardly? It was hard to tell; she hardly showed any real emotion. Was she just trying to hurt him?
Of course not. She might not have been the nicest person to him, but she was still Vic, his Vic. He knew her better than she could have imagined, and he had been paying attention. He knew her feelings for him, whether romantic or not, were there, and he set off to find her.
He hurried outside, knowing it wouldn't take too long to find her. If Teddy knew her as well as he thought he did, she would be there.
And she was. Victoire was sitting at the swing in the garden her uncles had originally built for the two of them once they were old enough to play outside. By now, it was fairly rusted and creaked after many years of many children swinging, but it was still the loveliest part of the Burrow, and Teddy had many great memories from it.
He quietly sat down next to her, and though he couldn't see her very well, her sniffles and chattering teeth gave her away. Without saying a word, Teddy took off his outer robe and placed it onto her shoulders, hoping she wouldn't push it, or him, away.
When she didn't react, Teddy let out a sigh, slightly pushing the swing back and forth. After a few minutes of silence, the sniffles got quieter and lesser. "You know, in my professional opinion, I think prefect trounces Quidditch player in terms of boyfriend material."
To that, Victoire snorted, outwardly. A loud, ugly sounding snort that she didn't even try to subdue. The comment was so brazen and confident that it took her completely by surprise. "Yeah, well I think Golden Boy trounces Blonde Seeker in terms of family material." She said it with the same joking tone as he had, but her comment definitely seemed to have a different air about it.
Teddy frowned, "What?" The idea that she was being serious seemed ridiculous to him, but it most certainly didn't feel like it had been a joke.
Victoire took a moment to settle her thoughts. She was going to speak honestly for once, as honest as he had been with her from the beginning. "You were the real firstborn, I just happened to be the one who got the name. My cousins fight over who gets to sit with you, who gets to just talk to you, you think they've ever done that for me? My family likes you more than they like me, and they'd trade us in a heartbeat. No one's ever going to notice me if I'm standing next to you" She was worried that she was going to sound dramatic and petty, that he wasn't going to take her seriously, but if she was going to be honest, she was going to put it out there.
Teddy didn't need to calculate his response; he spoke almost immediately, "You're Victoire Weasley, you're a fantastic seeker, a really amazing student, and you're the most beautiful at Hogwarts. Who are you next to me? Who am I next to you? I'm not even really a part of your family, that's why I try so hard. They could drop me at any moment's notice, but they could never do that to you." All this time, he'd thought that she rejected him because he wasn't good enough for her, but really? She'd thought he was better than her? He didn't know whether to laugh or to cry.
But Victoire did, and she laughed, but it was bitter and hollow. "And do you think any of that matters? There'll always be better Quidditch players, always be smarter students, and beauty fades. You're the amazing one. You're kind and you've got a good heart. People like you because you bring out the good and happiness in the world. And even now, I'm the one sitting here as if life has treated me poorly. I have nothing to complain about, especially not to you. I don't deserve you, and soon enough, you and everyone else'll realize it." Tears welled up in her eyes again, and her own statement surprised her just as much as it did him. All this time, Victoire thought she was suppressing her feelings because Teddy overshadowed her, but no, she really did believe she didn't deserve him. She knew she didn't deserve him, and she knew that a point would come when he and everyone else thought so too.
The words stung Teddy, wishing to remove the hurt she was feeling. "Vic…" He turned to her and slowly put his hands onto her cheeks, feeling the wet trail of tears. "No more of this I deserve you, you deserve me rubbish. Who cares about that and who cares about anyone else? What do you want, without all the fear? I want to be with you, clear as day. Do you want to be with me?" He could only make out her piercing blue eyes under the moonlight, but he could feel her trembling in his hands.
Victoire began shaking her head slightly, but then hesitated and gave him the tiniest nod. "I do," she whispered and Teddy felt a grin grow on his face. "But still, Ted…We don't even know how anyone would react."
"Then let's make it a secret. It's just about us, Vic, no one else. Just me and you, together," Teddy said softly while moving his thumb up and down her cheek.
Without speaking, the pair leaned toward each other again, this time their lips pressing against each other. Teddy held her cheeks while Victoire's arms wrapped around his stomach, pulling him closer to her. The kiss was gentle and deep, and both of them felt safer than they ever had before. They were together, and together, they could take on anything.
"Hey, guess what?" Teddy whispered once they'd pulled apart. Their faces were only centimeters away and he could see Victoire's eyebrows scrunch in confusion. "I just kissed the Victoire Weasley." He was grinning smugly at the girl, but she was just as quick as he was.
"My, what a coincidence. I just kissed the Teddy Lupin," Victoire whispered in mocking. "But I hope they don't find us in such a compromising position."
They both laughed, holding each other for just a little bit longer. They knew that they'd soon have to go back inside because someone sometime would notice their disappearance and come looking for them. After a final set of kisses, the pair went inside the house, making sure to be discrete as to not show themselves together. The caroling had stopped, and now the adults that were left were chatting, sprawled out on couches. The couple made their way quietly up the stairs, and Victoire gave Teddy a small smile, which was returned with a flash of soft pink hair as they parted ways.
They were together. That in itself came with its very own set of issues and insecurities, but it didn't matter. Nothing else mattered because they were together, and together, they would get through whatever was ahead.