A/N: Hey all. To those of you who are new, welcome. This is an expansion of Victoire's storyline in Chapter 18 of Albus Potter and the Stultifera Navis, but it can also be read as a stand-alone story, and will have minimal spoilers for Albus Potter and the Sylvarum, in case it stokes your curiosity. If you enjoy this story, I encourage you to check out the Sylvarum. Such being the case, you won't be getting much background in this story, beyond what's in the summary.
Whether you are new or coming here from APSN, please note that, as I mentioned in the summary, this story does have mature content, but that is not the point of it, and it is hardly the kind of gratuitous narrative that you see elsewhere on this site. Sorry, boys, but if you're just looking for a quick wank, this is not the story for you. The scene is part of an attempt at a deeper, more realistic narrative, complete with the recognition that sex without the relevant emotions-or with the wrong emotions-can be as awkward as it is pleasant.
So, those of you that are still interested, enjoy!
Disclaimer: As you all know, this story is set in the universe developed by J.K. Rowling. Teddy and Victoire are her characters. The plot of the story and the OCs involved are mine.
Excerpt from APSN Ch. 17
Victoire wrapped her cloak more tightly around herself. The wind blew through her hair, which was once again the dark red color that would fit in among the Muggles.
In front of her, the Sun fell through the sky, slowly plummeting into the forest that spread out below. They had just driven through there, what felt like miles of nothing at all.
Now they sat on an empty hill in the middle of that nothing, a fire crackling between them. Why Theo had insisted on camping in the middle of November, when there were plenty of other options available to them, was beyond her. But he seemed to be enjoying it.
He was sitting on the ground, leaning back against his log. He had a small smile on his face as he watched sunset approach.
"I never knew you were such a nature-boy."
His smile widened as he looked at her. "My father used to take us camping in the summers. No magic, just us and the world."
"That's poetic. How's your sister doing?"
He shrugged, his smile falling a little. "Still traveling the world. Clearly not too interested in popping back to say hi, even when she can do that literally."
"Sorry." She watched him for a moment. "So, what do you like so much about nature?"
His smile returned full force, and he stood up. Stepping around behind her, he knelt down and put a hand on her shoulder. With his other hand, he pointed at the nothingness before them. "Doesn't it look beautiful? And wild? And… natural?"
She turned her head, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "Are you channeling your father, or coming on to me?"
The smile vanished from his face so fast that it found its way to hers. He stood and took several steps back. "That's not… I'm sorry."
She laughed. "I'm just messing with you, mate."
"Oh."
"Come here." She nodded her head forwards.
"Ok." He knelt down behind her again, but didn't return his hand to her shoulder.
"You were saying?"
As he continued talking, she leaned back against him ever so slightly. He was her good friend, but maybe, just maybe… Perhaps there was the slightest chance that for a moment, she could forget he wasn't Teddy.
Maybe that was what she needed.
Jenna Smith
Victoire fiddled with the engagement ring on her finger. It was conjured, but she admired it nonetheless. Theo had good taste.
They had decided on this last detail of their cover the night before. A young couple showing up on their own might raise some eyebrows, and they didn't want anyone thinking they were run-aways. Instead, they would be celebrating their engagement.
It was taking some time to get used to having the ring on her finger. She kept fiddling with it idly. But she figured this would be good practice. After she finally found Teddy and reunited with him, maybe a real ring would follow.
She shook the thought from her mind, leaning back against the passenger seat of Uncle Ron's car.
"Are you okay?" Theo didn't look at her. He was focused on the driving, even though that was largely being handled by magic. He was starting to do more of it himself as he got the hang of it.
"Yeah. I'm going to be happy when we're not spending every day in the car."
"We're almost there."
Victoire nodded and shut her eyes. They had spent the past six nights in a slew of different locales, from their tent to cheap inns to the barn of some old Muggle couple who never left their house. By now, she could transfigure a decent mattress from pretty much anything. Nevertheless, she would certainly be pleased to have a real bed to sleep in each night.
Finally, the hotel that unwittingly provided shelter to aurors came into sight. It was a small, rustic place, which was pretty much what Victoire had imagined it would be. A few cars were parked on the grass on the side of the road leading up to it, and Theo pulled over and followed suit.
Entering the place, they found an interior that looked somewhat cozier than the exterior did. A thick, vermillion carpet covered the ground, and wood of varying dark shades made up all of the walls and furniture. A door on the side was open, revealing a small dining area. There was a "Help Wanted" sign on the door, the tan-ness of the paper revealing that it had been there for some time.
A rather lanky man, with a thick, gray mustache and a hairline that had already retreated high up onto his scalp, sat behind a large desk, a binder of papers in front of him.
"Welcome," he said immediately, his voice kind. "How may I help you?"
"We have a reservation," said Theo. "The name's Tim Leonard."
The man opened the binder to the last page, which had only a few names on it, including the alias that Kingsley had booked the reservation under
"Yes, Sir, Mr. Leonard." He stood up and offered Theo his hand to shake. "Very happy to welcome you." Theo shook the offered hand.
The man turned to Victoire, his eyes pausing momentarily on her ring as she fiddled with her hair. She was going to have to get used to that.
"And this must be your lovely fiancé." He held out his hand again. "I'm Jeffrey Jones. I own this place."
Victoire returned his smile, and shook his hand. "Jenna Smith. Pleased to meet you."
After brief conversation, he gave them a sheet of paper with house rules, along with a pair of keys. They followed the hallway down to a set of stairs, which creaked as they climbed.
The room was at the end of the hall. It was somewhat more spacious than they had expected, but a single, large bed still caught their attention immediately.
They stepped into the room and looked around, Victoire making a point of looking anywhere but at the bed.
"Be careful with magic in here. Don't do anything you can't undo." They turned to see Vanessa Willis, the other undercover witch, standing in the doorway, wearing a long black work dress with the name "Velma" sewn on in white. She was pale with long, dark hair, and looked almost exactly the same as she had at Hogwarts two years before.
"Hi," said Victoire, giving her a quick wave.
She waved back. "It's great to see you here. This place doesn't get used enough by aurors."
"Shouldn't you shut the door before talking about magic here?" asked Theo.
She shrugged. "The place is basically empty right now. "You're the only guests this end of the hall."
Victoire decided that was probably a good thing. No one would be able to hear any magic they did. She cast a quick glance at the bed, wondering if either of them could magically repair it if they split it in two.
"I really wouldn't try that," said Vanessa, catching Victoire's glance. "If you can't repair it perfectly, we're all in big trouble."
Victoire grimaced, but nodded.
"I'm sure you two can figure something else out. Or else… get more comfortable with each other."
They both raised their eyebrows at her.
"Anyway, you two get settled, and we can catch up later." She shut the door.
"I know a ward we can use," said Theo.
"Do it," Victoire replied, not looking at him. She already didn't fully trust herself, this could only make it worse.
Their first week passed without incident. They used magic only very subtly. Whenever they were outside of the room, they developed their talents for pretending to be Muggles. Some conversations with the few other guests brought them up to speed on what was happening in the Muggle world, and they learned the right sorts of questions to ask.
The hotel had little in the way of entertainment, but Theo enjoyed walking around in the large field behind it, despite the cold. There was a small hill several yards from the building, and they spent a few afternoons sitting out there in their coats, well out of earshot of Muggles, discussing their world. That would last until Victoire got cold enough to demand that they go back inside, and he would never complain.
In fact, it was in their room that they faced the biggest problems. Sharing a bedroom and bathroom proved vastly different from simply sharing the common areas that they were used to. There was very little in the way of privacy. Victoire had conjured a curtain for herself to change behind, though she knew Theo would never look anyway. He didn't mind getting dressed in the bathroom, but she hated it, and quickly forced him to get used to seeing her walk out in a towel.
On their sixth morning there, Victoire awoke to find his hand on her hip. The ward across the center of the bed had failed during the night, and he was right behind her, maybe two inches separating their bodies.
She could feel the warmth from his hand through her shorts. After arguing silently with herself for several seconds, she decided to leave it there, and even shifted slightly closer to him, feeling the warmth of his body against her back.
He stirred, and woke up slowly. When he finally lifted his head and blinked away the confusion, she turned enough to be able to look at his face.
It was a second before he realized where his hand was, and he looked in its direction sheepishly. "What happened to the ward?" he asked, his voice still groggy. His eyes rose to meet hers.
"It failed during the night. Nice job."
"Sorry." He looked back towards where his hand was, then removed it. She missed the warmth immediately. Rolling onto his back, he shut his eyes again. "I'll cast another one tonight."
She allowed herself to look at him, appreciating his chest through the old, thin t-shirt he wore. He didn't have the muscles that Teddy had, but Teddy, being a metamorphmagus, could make himself look more muscular at will, so she wasn't actually sure what muscle he did and didn't have.
Looking away, she mentally chastised herself for drawing comparisons between her friend and her… whatever Teddy was.
Shaking the thoughts from her head, she lay her head back on the pillow. Theo had seemed to fall back asleep so easily, one knee up in the air beneath the blanket. It was supposed to be hard to sleep like that, but he didn't seem to have a problem with it.
Falling back asleep in the early morning never came so easily to her. She shut her eyes, but the sleep refused to return. Finally, she got out of bed and stepped across the carpet to the bathroom.
Knowing that he wasn't waiting, she allowed herself a somewhat longer shower than normal. He was still asleep when she got out, having rolled back onto his side.
She stepped behind her curtain and dressed, and found his eyes open when she emerged. "Good morning," she said brightly, giving him a smile.
He blinked at her. "Morning." Shifting the blankets down, he looked at the hand that been the perpetrator earlier. "Sorry again about earlier."
She shrugged. "It's fine." She transfigured her shoes into flats, a new habit that she was developing out of laziness when they went down to breakfast in the morning. Not putting them on just yet, she sat on her side of the bed and turned to look at him. "Sleep well?"
"I did. You?"
"Yeah."
He sat up, and looked towards the window. Reaching for his wand, he waved the curtain aside so that the room filled with the light from outside.
"It looks cold outside," she said. It was gray and hazy.
He nodded. "Might snow later. That could be fun."
"No."
He rolled his eyes. "Aren't you a witch? You know heating charms."
She shrugged. Standing up, she slipped into her transfigured shoes. "I'm going down for breakfast. Follow me when you're ready."
"As you wish."
She left the room, following the vermillion carpet to the stairs. The increasingly familiar smells of Muggle breakfasts reached her.
Vanessa was in the dining area, helping out, as she tended to do. Being the fastest worker, she was paid extra to bring her talents for efficiency to the kitchen. Mr. Jones was perfectly ignorant of the subtle magic that went in to developing this talent of hers.
"Good morning, Miss Smith." She said as Victoire sat down at a small table for two.
"Good morning, Velma."
"What would you like?"
"Just a coffee for right now, thanks."
"Certainly, Miss." Instead of moving towards the kitchen, however, Vanessa stepped right up to the table. Quickly looking around to make sure no one was watching, she moved her wrist so that the tip of her wand appeared out of her sleeve.
The engagement ring appeared on Victoire's finger. She gasped, having completely forgotten about it.
"Be careful," Vanessa whispered. Then she hurried away to get the coffee.
Victoire looked around sheepishly. No one had seen.
She was halfway through the coffee when Mr. Jones came into the room, wearing a blazer over a red shirt and jeans. He walked around between the tables, greeting all of the guests present. "Good morning, Miss Smith."
"Good morning, Mr. Jones."
"Anything I can get you?"
She gestured to her coffee. "I'm taken care of, thanks."
"Excellent. We might be getting a bit of weather later. There will be extra blankets available upon request."
"Thank you."
Mr. Jones moved on. Over the course of the past week, he had revealed himself to have more of a businessman's attitude than it had seemed that first day, and was always making sure his guest's stayed content. He was apt at switching between warmth and aloofness as needed, but overall he seemed like a nice man.
When Theo finally made an appearance, they both ordered food. Fiddling with the ring on her finger, she looked at him fondly for the benefit of the Muggles they were fooling.
Catching a moment when no one was nearby, she whispered across the table, "We forgot about this this morning." She gestured to the ring.
He looked at it for a second, then nodded. "We'll have to be more careful."
The snow arrived shortly before dinner time. They came down to find new guests in the hotel. An older couple in rather fancy attire stood by a window in the dining area, talking quietly with Mr. Jones.
Victoire and Theo sat at a table, both feeling curious about the new guests. There had been so few over the course of the week.
Mr. Jones left, and the couple passed by their table. "Good evening," said the man, giving them a kind smile.
"Good evening," Theo replied.
"Oh my, look at that ring?" the woman exclaimed, her eyes fixed on Victoire's finger. "Oh, you're a very lucky girl!"
"Thank you," Victoire replied, giving the woman a smile.
"Still new to it? I can tell from how stiffly you answered. You're not used to the compliments yet."
Both Victoire and Theo raised their eyebrows, as did the woman's husband.
"Oh how delightful to be newly engaged. Remember, Robert?"
"Vaguely," the man replied, earning a sharp look from his wife. He smoothed the gray suit that he was wearing, which matched his hair. "My dear, being married to you is such a blissful experience, there's no need to remember what came before."
The woman rolled her eyes at Victoire. "Sweet talks like that whenever he knows he's in trouble. Make sure you get yours to a point where he does the same." She gestured at Theo. "Anyway, we'll leave you to your dinner."
They moved on, and Victoire and Theo shared a glance. There was laughter in Theo's eyes, but Victoire felt a bit embarrassed. Still, if they were going to pretend they were engaged, they were bound to get comments like that.
Victoire and Theo were ten days into their stay when the "Help Wanted" sign disappeared from the door of the dining area. They entered to find Vanessa talking to a young man with military-cut hair and a muscular body. The girls exchanged waves when Vanessa saw them, causing the man to turn and look. His eyes fell on Victoire, and he gave her a clearly visible once-over.
As they sat at a table, Vanessa brought the man over. "This is Dave, the new waiter."
"Pleased to meet you," Theo replied.
The waiter's eyes fell on Victoire's ring. "Nice to meet you, too." His voice was low, but strong. "Can I get you anything?"
Vanessa chuckled. "Not that you know where anything is yet, but go right ahead."
The man looked at her. "I'm good at figuring out where things are." He looked back at Victoire, who hastily ordered a coffee and then looked at Theo. He ordered the same.
As the waiter went into the kitchen, Vanessa leaned in close. "Isn't he just the most handsome catch you've ever seen?"
Victoire looked at Theo. He was looking back at her, clearly curious as to how she would reply.
"Well, he certainly has a body."
"He certainly does." Vanessa stood up and looked back towards the kitchen.
Dave returned surprisingly soon with a pair of coffees. "Here you go. I'm sorry, I didn't catch your names before."
"I'm Tim," Theo replied. "This is Jenna, my fiancée." That was the first time he had introduced her as such. It sounded weird.
"Tim and Jenna." Dave nodded. "Alright." He looked at Vanessa. "Well, show me the rest of the ropes?"
She gave Victoire a last glance. "Give a shout if you need anything." Then she led Dave away.
Victoire allowed herself to appreciate his physique as he walked away. When she looked back at Theo, she found him watching her. "What?"
"He certainly has a body? I've never heard you talk like that before."
"Well, I'm allowed to be a girl sometimes, aren't I?"
"When aren't you?"
She rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. And why did you introduce me as your fiancée? I think this makes it obvious." She held up the finger with the ring.
He shrugged. "Why not? It's our cover."
"It felt weird to hear you say out loud."
"Sorry."
Vanessa passed by with the new waiter, and his gaze returned to Victoire. She met his eyes for only a brief moment.
A few days later, they got around to talking with the new waiter. He had been in the military, but was not keen to talk much about it.
"Why did you leave?"
He shrugged. "Let's just say I didn't play nice with the others. And there was… kind of a girl involved."
Theo raised his eyebrows. "Is that not allowed?"
Dave shrugged again. "Well, she's far behind me now. She's moved on." His eyes fell again on Victoire's ring. "I've heard she's got one of those now."
"I'm sorry," said Vanessa, stepping slightly closer to him.
"No worries. Anyway, since then I've kind of just been travelling. Moving around place to place, job to job."
Vanessa shrugged. "Maybe you can stay here a while."
He looked at her. "Maybe."
Victoire and Theo shared an amused glance.
He turned back to them. "So what about you little lovebirds? Where do you come from?"
"London," Theo replied. "We're just getting away for a little while, celebrating." He glanced down at the ring.
"Quite a ways to go to celebrate." Dave gave them a scrutinizing glance. "You two don't look like you can be twenty yet. Let me guess, parents don't approve of such an early engagement?"
Victoire shrugged. "Actually, early engagement is not uncommon in my family."
Dave raised his eyebrows at her. "Oh, you're from that upper class, aren't you?"
"Not really."
Dave looked like he didn't quite believe her.
"We need not hear your biases here, Sir." Dave turned around, revealing the wealthy older couple behind him. The man was giving the waiter a sharp glance.
"My humblest apologies. Can I get you anything?"
"Not at the moment. But you might want to see if there are any other guests that need attending to, rather than talking to these two for so long."
"Yes, Sir." Dave hurried off, as did Vanessa.
The couple looked at Victoire and Theo. "Sorry about that. He's quite the social one, apparently."
"Why are you apologizing," Theo asked, looking genuinely curious.
"Well, I advised Jeffrey to hire him." The man smoothed his suit, which was beige today. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I introduced myself the first time we spoke. I'm Robert Jones, Jeffrey's brother."
"Tim Leonard. Pleased to meet you." They shook hands.
Victoire awoke when he collided into her. The ward had failed again.
The room was still mostly dark. It was early. Her eyes closed of their own volition, her brain clearly not keen to be awake yet. His body was flush against her back, but her muscles could not move just yet.
Sleep crept back across her consciousness, until she felt movement against her thigh. Part of him was pushing against her, and it was a second before she realized what part.
She could feel that he was still asleep, and wondered what he might have been dreaming about.
The muscle twitched against her thigh again, straining against his pants. How could he remain asleep with that much pressure against a rather sensitive part of his body?
Her sleepy brain was determined to ignore it for the time being.
Her next conscious thought was that it was much lighter in the room. His body was no longer flush against her, though she could still feel the muscles of his chest against her back. Allowing herself to twist slightly, she glanced at him over her shoulder.
He was still fast asleep, his face tilted upwards, lips parted slightly as gentle breaths flowed between them. One arm was clear of the blanket, outlining the side of his torso until it fell behind his back at the elbow.
Shifting away from him as gently as she could, she rolled onto her back, content to watch him sleep for a minute.
At the end of that minute, her rational side caught up with her, and she looked away from him quickly. How could she be looking at her friend like this, enjoying the proximity of his body, appreciating his cuteness as he slept?
She had always enjoyed watching Teddy as he slept. Every now and then, his hair might change color, or the slightest change might occur on his face, possibly corresponding to a dream he was having. She would lie there, head propped against her pillow, one hand gently caressing the arm that would inevitably find its way protectively around her.
The last time, it had been different. It had been at the beginning January, on the last night of the holiday break, before she was due to once again return to Hogwarts without him. That was the first night that she had invited him to her room despite the proximity of her sleeping parents. He had entered tentatively, shutting the door silently behind himself.
At her desperate urging, he had made love to her. It was her first time, not his. He had been exceedingly gentle.
Looking back, she wondered if part of her had known instinctively that it would be their last opportunity.
"Are you okay?" She jerked back to the present. Theo was awake and looking at her, concern in his eyes. His voice was soft.
"Yeah."
He looked unconvinced, but let it go. Lifting his head from the pillow, he looked around. "The ward failed again."
"Yes, it did."
He gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry."
"No worries." She shifted the slightest bit closer to him. "You're comfortable, at least."
He raised his eyebrows, and opened his mouth. She watched as he searched for a response, amusement replacing the less pleasant feelings that had been present moments before.
That amusement must have found its way to her face, because after several seconds he asked, "What's so funny?"
She shook her head. "Nothing." Bringing her hand up to his chest, she placed her palm flush against his pectoral. When he looked down at it, she pushed, rolling him onto his back. "I'm going to shower." She got up quickly and made for the bathroom, feeling his eyes on her the whole way.
She was in there for a while. He lay back in bed, staring at the ceiling. She was toying with him, but he couldn't fathom why.
When he had woken up, the look on her face had indicated loud and clear that she was thinking about Teddy. Then, suddenly, she was being playful with him, as though they were old lovers rather than friends, and there were not another man in the world for her to consider.
There was no question that he had enjoyed the moment, and found it arousing. It wasn't as if he had never noticed before how attractive she was, even before he'd really gotten to know her as his fellow Head Student at Hogwarts.
But the whole time he had known her, she had been Teddy's. He knew she was still determined to find him, though there was no indication that would happen any time soon.
So what was she doing now?
The door to the bathroom opened, and she stepped out in a towel. She didn't look at him as she walked behind her curtain. He took the opportunity to get up and step into the bathroom for his own shower.
When he reemerged, she had gone down to breakfast. He quickly dressed and followed her.
He paused just inside the entrance to the dining area. She was standing by one of the windows with Vanessa, holding a coffee and whispering. When she laughed at something Vanessa said, he couldn't help but smile himself.
"Excuse me, lad." He stepped aside as Robert Jones entered behind him. The man followed his gaze. "Quite enthralled by her, aren't you? You're a lucky man."
Theo looked at him, controlling his facial expressions so as not to blow their cover. "Yes, I am."
Robert sighed. "I remember that stage. Quite terrifying, really."
Theo raised his eyebrows. "I thought you only 'vaguely' remembered it."
The man chuckled. "So I'll tell the wife until I die. Truth is, she had a much better time of it than I did. I wasn't fully prepared."
"What do you mean?" Genuine curiosity replaced the careful cover Theo had been trying to maintain.
Robert shrugged. "Well, to be honest, I wasn't sure I was in love with her, even when I proposed. As far as I knew, she was the one person I could imagine myself spending my life with. It wasn't until later that I realized I'd been in love with her all along."
Theo stared at him, utterly clueless as to how to respond.
"I'm sure you've realized by now that these things don't work exactly as we read about them in books, or see in movies. Love is complicated, even more so when a ring becomes involved. It's not nearly as comprehensible as we try to make it out to be."
Theo looked back at Victoire, once again afraid that his face might betray the cover.
"The trepidation in your face is a good sign. It's good to be uncertain, strange as that may seem. It means you're thinking rationally."
Vanessa caught him staring. She looked back at Victoire, and apparently decided to pretend she hadn't seen anything.
"Here's some advice that may surprise you: Be terrified. Be anxious. Be afraid of hurting her, until you know you won't."
He looked back at the man. "Thanks."
"You're welcome, Lad."
That evening, when Theo grabbed his wand and pointed it towards the bed, Victoire stopped him. "Don't. We don't need it."
He looked at her, his eyebrows raised. She walked around to her side of the bed and lay down, then patted the space on his side. "Come here."
He lay down on his back, and she rolled over and placed her hand on his chest, her chin on top of it. She looked at his face, not saying anything.
After several seconds, she felt his arm come up across her back. Lifting her chin, she removed her hand and laid her head on his chest.
He smelled good. She listened to his heartbeat, and could tell he was anxious. Placing her arm across him, she let herself begin to drift off, and felt him calm slowly.
Next thing she knew, he was bumping into her. She opened her eyes. The room was now pitch black, and she had no way of knowing what time it was.
He was fast asleep, and had rolled over so that their bodies were now facing each other. She chuckled softly to herself, realizing that with as much as he had proven already to move around in his sleep, falling asleep on him like she did would inevitably not end well.
She gently pushed against his chest, trying to roll him back away from her. When he didn't budge, she tried pushing a little harder.
"What?" His voice made her jump.
"You're awake?"
"I am now. Are you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine."
"Okay." He placed an arm around her, his body going limp once more. Realizing she couldn't escape, she settled for falling back asleep in his embrace.
"Something's different." Victoire looked up as Vanessa approached, bringing her morning coffee.
"What?"
"You're thinking about something, fondly." There was absolute certainty in Vanessa's voice. "Something good happened last night."
Victoire rolled his eyes. "Hardly."
Vanessa's look didn't waver.
Victoire lowered her voice. "It's just a cover, remember? We're not… anything." When Vanessa looked like she was about to respond, she held up her hand quickly, for Dave was approaching.
"Good morning." Victoire and Vanessa looked at the new waiter, both masterfully hiding the fact that they had just been discussing a matter he could know nothing about.
"Good morning, Dave," Vanessa replied.
"Did you sleep well?" He was looking at Victoire.
"I did, thanks."
"As did I," added Vanessa.
"That's good. Can I get you anything?"
Victoire gestured to her coffee. "I'm taken care of."
"Alright. Shout if you need anything." He walked away.
Vanessa looked at Victoire. "Well, someone's certainly getting attention from her boys this morning."
Victoire gave her a look, but before she could retort, Mr. Jones approached them.
"Good morning, ladies."
Vanessa straightened. "Good morning, Boss."
"Taking good care of our guest, Velma?"
"She is," said Victoire.
Mr. Jones looked at the coffee that sat on the table in front of her. "She makes great coffee, doesn't she? It tastes almost… magical."
The girls exchanged a glance. "Thank you," said Vanessa.
The look on Mr. Jones's face indicated that his word choice might not have been accidental. Victoire prepared herself for the possibility that they might have to obliviate him.
"And it's great to see a guest get along so well with one of my staff. Almost as if you knew each other before."
"No, Sir," Vanessa replied.
Mr. Jones looked down for a moment, as if choosing his words. Then he looked at his employee. "Look, I know there are things in this world that I don't understand. I know there's a reason that you are able to do everything so quickly and so… well. And I'm fine with that, as long as you keep doing it." He turned to Victoire. "And I'm guessing you and your so-called fiancé are part of this same mystery. That's fine, as long as it doesn't disturb my other guests. I won't pry. Or ruin your cover." With that, he turned and headed back towards the exit.
He passed Theo on the way out, and gave him a glance. Theo greeted him pleasantly, oblivious.
"What did I miss?" he asked, seeing the looks on their faces as he approached.
The girls exchanged a glance. "Sit down," said Victoire. "We'll fill you in."
The next several days passed without incident, and suddenly they had only a week left at the hotel. Both were eager to go home and see their families.
They lay in bed, Victoire once again with her head on his chest. They had both grown more comfortable with snuggling like this at the end of the day, though she could still feel Theo tense up once in a while when she brushed her hand over his chest or her leg against his.
His fingers idly rubbed small circles on her back, and she shut her eyes, enjoying the feeling.
"It's going to be strange having separate rooms again."
"Hmm?" She opened her eyes and looked up at his face.
"In the flat. Separate bedrooms."
"Oh. I guess." She would appreciate the privacy. And of course there would still be times when they could lie together if they wanted to.
"I mean, I guess we can change the setup if we miss it…"
She raised her eyebrows. "Are you going to miss this?"
He fell silent for a moment, pondering a response. "I guess, yeah."
She smiled against his chest, then lay back down. She ran her hand along his side, until she felt him tense up again.
"Are you a virgin, Theo?" She didn't look at him as she asked this.
"What?"
"Are you a virgin?" She returned her hand to the muscles that had tensed before, but now his whole body was tensing beneath her.
"Yeah, I am. Are you?"
"No." Now she looked at his face. His eyes were fixed on her, looking as though he was desperate to know where she was going with this. "I mean, just once before, with Teddy, but…"
"Never with Kevin?"
"No." She shrugged. "I think he had too much of a conscience about what he had done, what he was doing. He could never take it all the way."
While she was speaking, Theo's hand had risen tentatively to her bare shoulder, and was rubbing small circles.
She rose along his body until her face was even with his, lips inches apart.
"And you want me to take it all the way? I'm not even dating you."
She held up the finger with the conjured ring. "We're already engaged, remember?"
"That's a cover."
She shrugged. "Then get in character." Then she brought her lips to his. He melted against her immediately, the breath he had been holding shooting out through his nose as his lips fitted themselves to hers.
The kiss deepened quickly, until both needed to breathe.
"Why?" he asked, after breaking the kiss.
She shifted so that she was no longer on top of him, and lay her head back on the pillow beside his. Why indeed? She missed Teddy, there was no question about that, but there was more to this than that. She wanted Theo to be comfortable with her, in such a way that she could turn to him whenever she needed to, in whatever way she might need. Who knew how long Teddy might be missing for?
Theo was a good friend, possibly her best, but she was still a teenager, with teenage needs.
She looked back at him, and found that he was now on his side, watching her.
"You're not sure about this."
"I am," she replied.
"Why?" he repeated.
She shrugged. "I have needs. So do you."
"Victoire, we're not—"
She brought her lips back to his, suddenly not wanting to hear his take on what they were or weren't. If they were going to go through with this, she didn't want to think too much on the implications, and she certainly couldn't let him think too much about them.
He wrapped an arm around her, deepening the kiss. She could feel that he wanted her. Pushing him back, she rolled back on top of him.
Retrieving her wand from the night stand, she magically removed all of their clothes. That would otherwise have been a cumbersome step in this position, and would have given him plenty more time to think.
"I—uh—well—um." Words failed him utterly as he took in every detail of her body. She felt his barely-there abs clench beneath her, and shuddered involuntarily at the proximity.
"Are you okay?" he asked immediately, pushing his upper body up on his hands.
She nodded, kissing him and pushing him back down. When she sat back up, she turned her wand towards her belly. The contraception spell made her feel cold inside, but just for a second.
That's…" he began.
"Protection," she finished for him. Sliding down his body, she lined herself up with him, still feeling that time was of the essence.
She reached down and grabbed him. He was smaller than Teddy was, but then, that was another detail that Teddy could change at will, so who knew the truth? It hardly mattered. He would feel good nonetheless.
"Wait," he breathed. She looked at his face, seeing the apprehension in his eyes. "I don't want… um…"
"You clearly do." She gave the tell-tale part of him a gentle squeeze for effect.
"Well, of course I want that, obviously, but…" He squinted, struggling to put his thoughts into words. "Isn't this going to be weird? Afterwards, I mean."
"For a little while, yeah. Then that will go away, and we'll know that we can turn to each other when we need to." She prayed that she was right.
"When we need to?"
"Yes." She lowered her body slightly, just enough for him to catch the movement.
He looked down at the remaining space between them and held his breath, then met her eyes again. Rising up, he brought his lips to her body, kissing just above her breasts. Placing a hand on each of her thighs, he gently pushed her down around him.
She gasped at the pleasant jolts of electricity that shot through her as he came into contact with her nerve endings. It also hurt a little bit, but not as much as the first time.
Looking down at him, she saw that his eyes were wide, and he was holding as still as a statue. "Are you okay?"
He nodded slightly. "It's not… like I imagined."
"Oh?"
"I mean, it doesn't feel… quite the same. It still feels good, though."
She allowed herself a small chuckle at his expense. "Okay." Rising up, she began to move on him.
It was strange how much more confident she felt, even though this was only her second time. The first time, she had been in the same place that Theo was now, tentative and somewhat mystified. Now, however, she was the one who knew what she was doing, and he was the one with the wide eyes, the open mouth, the general look of wonder as he focused on the sensations that emerged from their joining.
He let out a moan, and she began to worry that he might not last long enough. Picking up the pace, she focused on her own pleasure.
She shut her eyes, briefly allowing an image of Teddy to appear in her mind. She felt tentative hands reach her breasts, the soft pads of thumbs rubbing her nipples. She shook away the image of Teddy, realizing that its discordance with Theo's hesitance didn't help matters.
Just as she resigned herself to the notion that this episode might end to his benefit alone, his hips began moving beneath her, complementing her movements with quick little thrusts of his own. That was what she needed.
"Yes," she gasped. He picked up the pace, and she followed suit. Pushing his shoulders back, she leaned down and kissed him soundly, gasping into his mouth as he gave a strong thrust upwards.
His thrusts became stronger, and soon she was climbing towards heights she hadn't reached in a long time. She pushed him all the way back down onto the bed, moving quickly above him. Then the stars exploded. She curled downwards towards his chest, letting out a loud moan.
A lost second passed before her senses returned, and she realized he was still going. She had expected him to follow her quickly, but he didn't.
Looking at his face, she saw that his eyes were half-shut and unfocused, and little moans were emerging from his mouth. He was close.
She knew what might push him over the edge, but she wondered if she could do it. He wasn't the one in her mind, but she felt that this was something she had to feel honest about, at least for a moment.
Staring at him, she forced herself to focus on him completely, to allow his body to replace any others in her mind. Right now, he was the one making her feel these pleasures. Breathing deeply, she exhaled his name. "Theo."
That did it. He tensed beneath her, his chest jolting upwards as a loud moan escaped from deep within his throat. Then he collapsed just as quickly, falling back onto the pillow, arms falling outwards on either side of his body.
He lay there for several seconds, eyes closed, looking like he had been crucified. Then his eyes opened, and he stared at her.
Lifting herself up, she got off of him and lay down beside him on her side. He followed her with his eyes, then brought his arm up behind her to rub her shoulders again.
"That was…"
She raised her eyebrows and smiled. "Pretty good?"
"Yeah." His arm gently pushed, meaning to pull her to his chest, but she knew by now that they couldn't fall asleep like that. He would just wake her up when he inevitably moved in his sleep.
She kissed his chest, then removed herself from his arm and lay back against the pillow, shutting her eyes. "Goodnight."
There was no immediate response, and she opened her eyes again. He was staring at her, the look of wonder back in his face. "Goodnight," he finally replied. Then he shut his eyes.
She relaxed and felt sleep come slowly. Part of her couldn't believe what she had just done, but another part of her had known all along that it was inevitable. And what would come next was also inevitable.
It was time for the weirdness to begin.
She woke up before he did. Light had barely managed to reach the window. She squinted, wondering how they had seen so well in the dark last night.
She felt sticky and a little sore. Getting up, she walked silently over to the bathroom. After a long shower, she emerged to find much more light in the room, and him sitting up in bed.
The blanket was pulled up to his waist, and she took a moment to appreciate the chest that she had barely paid any attention to the night before. He looked at her as she approached.
"Good morning."
He blinked, confusion written across his face. "I can't figure out whether last night was a dream or not."
She could have played dumb, asked him what he was talking about, but that wouldn't have done anyone any good. He was still naked under the blanket.
"Have you had dreams about that?"
He raised his eyebrows, then shrugged. "It's not unusual."
"With me?"
He chose to ignore the question. "If you know what I'm talking about, then it wasn't a dream. O—" He shut his mouth abruptly, realizing what he had just said. Looking away from her, he stared hard at the wall, a strange look on his face.
She stood stock still, waiting.
"It really happened?"
"Yeah."
He raised his eyebrows again, but didn't look at her.
Several seconds passed. Soon, those seconds threatened to become a minute.
Finally, a small smile spread across his face. "Not much for foreplay, are you?"
"Not this time."
"This time?"
She raised her eyebrows at him, then stepped behind her curtain and dropped her towel. Banter was good. If she could keep him in the mood for banter, perhaps the guilt wouldn't come.
At least, not yet.
"What did you do with our clothes?"
"Were they special to you?"
"Not particularly."
"Good." Once she was dressed, she stepped out and approached the bed. His eyes locked on her immediately.
"That's less fun."
"What is?"
"You in clothes."
She made her best snorting sound, but felt heat fill her cheeks. Suddenly he was flirting with her?
He kicked his legs over the side of the bed and tossed aside the blanket. As he stood up, she kept her eyes on his face.
He stepped towards her. She really hadn't anticipated this.
"You should shower. You smell."
"I have good reason to smell."
"You have good reason to shower."
He raised his eyebrows yet again. She had never noticed him do that so much. "Alright, boss." He stepped around her and into the bathroom.
She stood still as the door closed. Reality would set in soon.
Stepping into her transfigured shoes, she hurried out of the room.
Vanessa must have been standing there for a few seconds before Victoire noticed her. "Hi!"
"Hi." The older girl raised her eyebrows. That seemed to be the trendy gesture of the morning. "Had another good night last night?"
"What makes you say that?"
"Your face."
Victoire frowned. "What about my face?"
"It makes me say that you had another good night last night."
She stared at her, but felt the tell-tale heat in her cheeks again.
"Good morning!" Dave the waiter appeared like clockwork. He looked at Victoire. "Did you sleep well?"
"She most certainly did," said Vanessa. "If she slept at all, that is."
A curious look fell over Dave's face.
"Not that it's any of our business what engaged couples do at night. Let's get back to work." Vanessa led him away. He cast one last glance at Victoire.
"Good morning." Now Theo appeared. He stood there, hands in his pockets, looking suddenly shy.
Indeed, reality had set in.
"Good morning."
He took the seat opposite her, not saying anything.
Silence reigned supreme for a little over a minute, until Vanessa reappeared. "Good morning, lover boy. Can I get you anything?"
"Lover boy?" Theo raised his eyebrows, and looked at Victoire.
"Can she get you anything?" Victoire asked.
"Just a coffee, please." Vanessa left. "You told her?"
"Not in so many words… or any words, actually. Apparently, she saw it in my face."
"Ah."
Silence fell again for almost another minute.
"Look, Theo," said Victoire, "we're friends. Good ones."
"You're not wrong," he replied. There was a wary look on his face, as he waited to see where she was going with this.
"We were just there for each other when one of us needed it. That's what friends do."
"Not generally in such a fashion."
"You'd be surprised."
"We're not that type of…" He fell silent, not finishing the sentence. Victoire waited.
Vanessa appeared with his coffee. "Can I get you anything else?"
"No, I'm good with this, thanks."
"Miss Smith?"
They both looked up in surprise at her. They had allowed themselves to forget their cover for a few minutes. Victoire looked around quickly. No one was around to hear. "No, thank you."
Vanessa departed.
Theo sipped at his coffee. "I never imagined we would be the type of friends to… have benefits."
Victoire shrugged. "We have needs, same as anyone else." She was alert now, looking around for anyone who might overhear. "Let's stop talking about this now, and get back to being engaged."
Theo looked around the largely empty room, but nodded.
Later, when they returned to their room, he sought to continue the conversation.
She placed her hands on his shoulders. "Stop."
He shut his mouth.
"Don't overanalyze this." She clasped her hands behind the back of his neck.
"I was a Ravenclaw."
"I know. And you were Head Boy."
"You were Head Girl.
"I was." She took a step closer him. "It's something that happened, Theo. There's no point in thinking too much about it now. If one of us needs it to happen again, it can."
He looked at her silently, as if trying to think of counters to her argument.
She stepped away from him, and towards the bed. "Come lie down with me."
"Er, sh—"
"With clothes on."
He shut his mouth, and followed her to the bed. He lay down and allowed her to shift over, so that her head was on his chest.
They lay there in silence for a little while. She gently caressed his rib cage. "Aren't you more comfortable with this part, now?"
He let out a small laugh. "How could I not be?"
"Good."
They let a more comfortable silence fall.
They started each of the last few nights lying like this. Theo idly rubbed her back, Victoire his chest. They didn't kiss or do anything more, but they both became visibly more comfortable with the idea over time.
On their last night, Victoire allowed her mind to return to Teddy. She felt like his return was as far off as ever. She wrapped her arms around Theo's torso, and he returned the gesture.
"I'm here for you," he whispered, kissing the top of her head.
She smiled against his chest, and relaxed instantly. Sleep soon followed.
When Victoire and Theo left their hotel room for the last time, it felt a little strange. Their stay had been long and slow, and both were eager to return to their lives.
"I can't imagine all that might have happened while we were away," said Theo as they descended the stairs.
Vanessa met them at the bottom. Glancing around to make sure no one would see, she pulled her fellow witch into a quick hug. "I'm going to miss you. It will be back to being so dull here again."
"Even with Dave here?" Victoire asked, raising her eyebrows for effect.
Vanessa grimaced. "I think he's going to miss you, too. And anyway, he's not here right now. Told Mr. Jones yesterday that he wasn't feeling well, and asked for a couple of days off."
"Okay." Victoire wasn't disappointed that the waiter was not around to try flirting with her one last time.
Vanessa gave Theo a hug as well. "Take care, you two." Then she set off down the hall to resume her duties.
After a few kind parting words with Mr. Jones at the desk, they left the hotel. The night was chilly, but it was clear and starry, and the refreshing notion that she was returning to her own world enabled Victoire to ignore the cold completely. She looked up at the stars above, appreciating for the first time just how many of them she could see out here, well away from any cities, even with the full moon shining brightly.
As she looked at the moon, she stumbled a bit, but caught herself. She felt the cold instantly, coupled with a mild dread. She looked back up at it.
Dave wasn't feeling well now? He had been working there just shy of four weeks, which meant he started a few days after the previous full moon.
"Are you okay?" Theo asked, coming up beside her.
She gave him the briefest glance, then returned her gaze to the moon. She thought of all the looks Dave had given her during the stay, the way he had casually reacted when they introduced themselves, the number of times his eyes had fixed on her engagement ring.
Looking down at her finger, she quickly vanished the conjuration. The time for charades was over.
She considered coming back after the full moon to confront him, but she knew that the hotel would probably never see "Dave" again. She would get confirmation from Vanessa via owl.
Had Vanessa known? Had she at least suspected something? Victoire doubted it, but then, she and Teddy had been in the same year at Hogwarts. Perhaps he had told her, and she had helped him.
Victoire shook her head. Of course, this was all presumption. Dave could have just been a Muggle who happened to be sick during the full moon.
"Victoire?" Theo asked. His eyes were full of concern.
"I'm fine. Let's go."
They got in Uncle Ron's car. Theo turned it on, then hesitated, eyeing the controls warily. "Now, I just need to remember how to drive this thing."
Victoire grimaced, sitting back in her seat. "Well, good thing it's magical, then."