They never really went through a big, dramatic change in their relationship. More of a slight transition. The basic little things were what always stayed the same.
She'd pout and he'd smirk. She'd laugh and he'd look on with a small smile, like he didn't want to admit his happiness. She'd talk for hours and he'd listen, even if he pretended not to. She'd be scared and he'd hold her hand. He'd pretend he didn't like her half as much as he did, unless it was at a time when it really mattered. They'd always be best friends, no matter what. The basics were the same, but they had surpassed spiders in the basement and his pranks. Yet somehow they hadn't.
13-year-old Victoire hesitated on the third step down. She peered into the dank cellar, shuddering with dread. She glanced over her shoulder a few times, chewing her lip.
"Teddy?" she called out.
Silence. He'd wait until she was insisting it was important, or if she whining. He'd would never answer her first call unless it sounded like she was maimed, internally bleeding, or in some sort of crisis.
"Teddy!" she whined louder.
"What?" his irritated voice drifted down. He was distracted, but he wouldn't completely ignore her. He never would.
"Can you come with me?"
She heard him suppress a groan. Moments later he appeared at the top of the stairs. She'd get what she wanted, but she still needed to work for it a bit.
"You just need to fetch a few ingredients for your grandmother, why do you need me to come with you?"
She fidgeted on the steps, turning a fearful eye to the cold stone cellar.
"Teddy, there's spiders."
He rolled his eyes but was already thundering down the steps. He stopped at the bottom of the stairs, begrudgingly offering his hand up to her.
"It's okay." He informed her stiffly.
Her face broke out into a grin, padding down the stairs after him and throwing her arms around his neck.
"You're the best friend I ever had, Teddy." She said, her radiant freckled face lighting up with a smile.
He leaned back slightly, looking her over. For once the realization that Victoire Weasley was beautiful crossed his mind. And there it was. The subtle shift.
His fingers wound themselves in the ends of a strand of her flowing blonde hair, pulling it, but not enough to hurt.
"Let's go." And he took her hand, making sure he killed every spider that dared to cross her path.
….
As they grew older, she was regarded by all as a saucy Veela minx, a future seductress and charmer like all her female ancestors. Unrivaled beauty, without flaw, perfect. She never paid much attention to the flattery, mostly because it originated at family gatherings, uncles and aunts cooing over her, but at school there began a shift. Boys from all houses fawned over her. She was polite and courteous, dating around a bit her fifth year, nothing too scandalous. Even when avoiding advances, she was kind. Except when Teddy was close. She'd shoot him furtive 'help me' glances from over a boy's shoulder, and it was his job to swing around, wrap an arm around her, eyebrow raised, hair an intimidating black shade, and ask 'problem?' to the suitor. Which wasn't too common, but it happened often enough. She always thanked him and slid out of his grip as soon as they were out of the boy's sight. She was just growing too beautiful for everyone else. She hated it, no one saw her for her.
Except Teddy. With him, nothing changed, except how protective he was. She still looked like Victoire, just a taller and thinner Victoire with curves. Those he tried to avoid noticing.
He didn't leave her alone as much; she didn't have to run after him like when they were kids. She found himself holding his hand, being dragged along to Quidditch matches, or at home, to go down to the beach together. He included her more, made her feel special. Even if she didn't want to go, he was usually hovering, sitting in her room with her, right next to her at the dinner table, at the other side of the common room. That was always comical, him lurking in the corners of her life, scaring everyone but her, who threw herself under his waiting arm every time. This one the one thing that shifted. He was always there, but he wasn't ignoring her anymore. He watched her every move intently. During class where she didn't have him near was when she felt his absence most. He was too constant now to ever be removed.
He was always there to glance at for a sympathetic shrug when she needed to avoid hurting someone's feelings, a protective arm when she was past tip-toeing around their emotions and needed help in getting privacy. This happened more than once.
He found her crying, just once, over something a boy had said. Not everyone toke rejection from the most beautiful girl in Hogwarts well, she was usually strong enough to handle a few insults or rumors. He had escorted her out of the common room into a hallway for safety from a particularly arrogant quidditch player. Teddy was pretty sure he heard 'stuck-up git' uttered before whisking her away with a bone chilling glare to the boy who said it. He committed the face down to memory; that guy was getting a bloody nose and a black eye later.
She collapsed against the wall, sliding down to sit in a tight ball on the floor.
"Sometimes I just wish they left me alone." She said stonily. "He'd never uttered a word to me before then, waltzing up and acting as if he was doing me a favor by asking me to Hogsmead. Ridiculous."
Tears slipped down her cheeks, which she pawed at furiously.
He slid down next to her, patting her knee gently.
"I mean, it's not your fault you're so gorgeous." He teased. They were both raised with that reality. Her parents loved her, and she was spoiled with a large extended family she saw often, all of them telling her how beautiful she was. This wasn't a lack of modesty, she just heard it so many times, she didn't care anymore. So she was beautiful. She'd be fiery and confident if she had a rat for a face, it was just her nature. She was just born lucky enough to look like her mother.
"I'm serious."
She slapped the hand he had on her, but didn't knock it off. His grip tightened, squeezing her leg gently before relaxing again.
"I know." He shut his eyes. "Taking care of you is a full time job." He sighed.
Her hands went on her hips and she was right in his face after this.
"I never asked you to look after me." She fired back.
He smirked at her. "Course you didn't. Bill would skin me alive if I let those guys put their grubby hands all over you."
He meant it as a joke, even though Bill probably would skin him alive.
Her hands went from stationed at her hips to cross over her chest. He blinked a few times. This meant she was going from scolding to violence. He flinched.
"You think that I would let them?" her voice was ice, and even colder still were her eyes, the blue cutting into his brown eyes. He still met them, steadily and calmly. Not many people could do that.
"No," he said slowly, "but if you needed help, I should be there to offer it, like tonight, for instance."
She bit her lip, which meant he did make a good point, but she didn't want to accept it.
"But obviously I can't handle myself. If I'm such a bloody tart that everyone assumes I need a guy latched on to me at all times, so be it. I guess I just have 'easy' written all over my face? Is that the problem?"
"Listen Victoire, this doesn't happen that often—"
"It happens often enough." She shrieked, standing up and motioning wildly with her hands, pointing at the Fat Lady portrait which they just exited, tearing through her hair, waving throughout the air around them. "I'm sorry that obviously it's my fault everyone assumes I need a boyfriend so badly. They don't even know me and they think I'm so easy all they need is to strike up a conversation and I belong to them. Well I'm not, Teddy, I'm not." She shuddered, tears flowing freely. Her face was red and puffy, scrunched up in pain, and her eyes squinted shut. She always looked so different when she cried, like a spell that had been broken.
He stood and slid his arms around her, rubbing her back and shushing her. He had to lean down to meet her ear, she was tall but he was much taller.
"I don't think that, I have never thought that, and I will never, ever, think that about you. It's them I don't trust. They're creeps. I don't want those bastards touching you. You're just more patient with them, it takes a while for you to get mad and them, when I want to tear their heads off the moment they look at you."
She drew a sharp breath. This was new. Teddy always made it seem like he was doing her a favor for being such a guardian during these times. This actually mattered to him.
He smelled something flowery, realizing it was her perfume. He pulled her a little closer, burying his face in her hair, hoping she wouldn't notice him taking in her scent. She smelled good. Really good. Gorgeous, strong Victoire, who wanted so badly to be taken seriously. Has surprised by being so sidetracked by perfume. If she knew she'd kill him, say he wasn't any better than the creep in the common room. But he was. He actually gave a damn about her feelings. Arse.
She snuggled into his chest, which she found solace in for so many years. When she cried, he never denied her a hug. He never offered, but still, the rare moments he'd show her brotherly affection were the tenderest moments of her life.
"Teddy, you'll always be my best friend, right?"
He laughed softly, the gentle whoosh of air brushing her ear. She stifled a shiver.
"Always. Unless you date a Slytherin. Then it's over."
She laughed quietly at his joke, but not as much as he wanted her too.
"Let's go to bed." He offered, keeping on arm around her and leading her back to the Fat Lady. For a moment she though he was hitting on her, but shook the thought from her mind. This was Teddy, for pity's sake.
He led her up the stairwell separating the boys and girls' dormitories. She blew him her signature kiss that was her way of saying goodbye when they were younger. She hadn't done that in years, mostly because it was often misinterpreted.
"Night, Teddy."
"Night, Gorgeous." He winked at her teasingly, and then, got on his hands and knees and the foot of the stairs.
"Please, please Beautiful, go to Hogsmead with me!" he wailed, clutching his chest. She plopped down onto the steps, she couldn't stand she was laughing too hard.
"Buy me a butterbeer and we'll see." She teased back.
He nodded fervently. "And then we'll get married."
She gave him a fake-scolding look. "Let's see how the butterbeer goes. Now I need some sleep"
He grinned up at her. "Feel better?"
She gave him a shadow of a smile.
"Yeah, thanks to you."
….
He didn't notice the seductive qualities she developed. He noticed other things. The things that were always there.
The way she hummed along to the music, singing just a few words or snippets of phrases was always the same, even when they were kids. The way she brushed her hair out of her face, the way her eyes were half lidded yet focused when she was hunched over a book or magazine. The way she'd be confused after having an intense conversation with her mother, because she'd just been speaking and thinking in French, so when he snuck up on her a mixture of both languages would spew out her lips. These things never changed.
Now the gentle music Fleur loved to play when they were little was wafting around her bedroom. She had her back against the frame her bed while seated on the floor, reading. He sat across from her, legs alongside hers, arms folded, doing nothing. He insisted he wasn't bored, his finger would draw absentminded circles on her ankle every once in a while, usually when her melodious voice would half-sing half-hum the French lyrics of the quiet music over the thudding summer rain on the roof of the shell cottage.
She'd glance up from her book every few minutes, each time his eyes would be on her face.
"If you're bored…" she started for the millionth time, but was cut off once again.
"Not bored." He said curtly.
She giggled, glancing at his blue hair, sticking up in all directions.
"What are you reading about?"
"Nothing…"
"Another romance novel?"
"Teddy, I am not!"
"Sure sounds like you are."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"You're sighing a lot."
"Teddy Lupin, I am not sighing at all." Her brow knit like it always did when she was trying hard to convince him of something.
"Yes you are, when you sing."
She chewed her lip. "So?"
He gave her a knowing look.
"It's a love song." She admitted nervously.
He raised his eyebrows as if it was obvious, shrugging. "I know."
They both knew he'd picked up some French at the Shell Cottage.
They fell back into a comfortable silence.
Victoire only got a few lines further into her book until she glanced back up.
"I'm not reading a romance novel." She said defensively.
His hands gently wrapped around her ankle, right above her fuzzy sock.
"It's okay if you are." He said quietly, though smugly, not even glancing back.
"I am not Teddy!"
He rolled his eyes.
She slapped the book closed tossed it aside in frustration. He smirked; secretly glad she'd direct her full attention to him.
She loved when he was in her room. Fleur went overboard decorating for her first daughter, the room was a mountain of pink and frilly, very French-looking. With Teddy stretched sullenly across the plush carpet or trying to look serious sitting on the fluffy comforter of her bed, she had to fight the giggles down. Strong, athletic Teddy. Big, mean Teddy. Scary, brooding Teddy. Even standing by the windows floaty pink curtains.
The contrast was just too perfect.
She wiggled into a slouchier position, placing her feet on his lap.
"Rub my feet."
He wrinkled his nose.
She gave him her best pleading face, eyes bright with a dazzling smile.
"Please?"
He rolled his eyes, already wrapping his big hands around a foot and working out the tension under the ball of her foot with his thumbs.
She let out a contented sigh.
"You give the very best foot rubs."
He would still rue the day she figured that out, she demanded them almost constantly.
"Well, I'm just happy to serve some purpose."
She kicked him lightly with the foot he wasn't holding.
"You're not completely useless, I'm sure we can find more talents for you."
He shot her a look. She gave an innocent glance back with a shrug.
"What? You set yourself up for that one."
His hand wrapped around her ankle, and with one quick jerk, he pulled her down from her seated position to sliding onto her back, stretched across the floor.
Her head bounced against the rug as she stared at him in shock, registering what just happened. He bit back a smile from the look on her face, but couldn't cover his laughter. She glared at him.
"Bastard," She cried, pushing herself back up and crawling to his side, fists already furiously pounding on his chest. He continued to laugh.
His arm slid around her waist, the other hand grabbing her wrist mid-punch. She froze.
He was giving her a rare smile, at her expense of course.
"Come on, you should have seen your face."
Her breath huffed dramatically out of her nose.
"You don't always have to be so mean to me."
His eyes searched her face to see how serious she was about that.
Her expression was slightly hurt, her light blue eyes wide with sadness. All was silent for a moment except for the gentle French music.
"I know." Was all he managed to whisper, because he did know, he always knew.
He brushed her hair out of her face.
His dark eyes watched her expression, every little shift that could betray what she was thinking. She shook her head sadly, brushing a hand over his cheek, and then dropping it.
She shifted so she sat by his side. He slid and arm over her shoulders. This wasn't new. They hadn't really crossed into boyfriend-girlfriend, but they sort of knew it was inevitable. It was as if they belonged to each other.
The room was dark except for the warm glow of the lamp on her bedside table, above their heads from the refuge on the floor. Her ankles crossed over his, feet tangling together. She leaned against him tiredly, sighing again.
"No more of this French romantic crap." He motioned to her record player.
She shot him a look. He shrank back a bit defensively.
"What? It makes you all moody."
She turned her eyes away grumpily.
"It does not." She said coldly.
He chuckled at her lie, and she huffed in frustration.
"Teddy, you have no idea why I'm so moody." She crossed her arms over her chest defiantly, raising an eyebrow as a challenge to argue. It struck him how different she looked when her temper flared, her blue eyes gone fiery and intense, pale pink lips pursed in defiance.
The arm around her shifted slightly as his hand rubbed her shoulder.
"You're gorgeous." Was all he managed to say. He'd known his whole life, but every once in a while, he'd see it with his own eyes, and not just public opinion.
All her breathe whooshed out her nose in frustration, masking her confusion. Her head fell from its locked position, and all she gazed back at were her knees.
"'Toire, look at me."
She returned his gaze, eyes fierce and jaw set.
Then he leaned in, and after barely a moments hesitation, he kissed her.
Her anger was forgotten in an instant. She should have felt surprised, or confused, but she didn't. It was Teddy, and in a weird way, it just felt natural for them to come together like this. Like they weren't looking to ruin their friendship, they were just allowing it to move into this new realm.
Her hand tangle itself up in his untidy blue hair as their lips gently mingled, getting to know the taste of each other. The other hand gently danced along his strong jaw and settled on his neck.
Both of his hands settled on her waist, pulling her onto his lap. Her hands pulled through his hair as she kissed him passionately, allowing him to slide his tongue in her mouth.
A chill rippled through her body, as she realized she was in a lip-lock with Teddy, and that was amazing.
Just like that, they were snogging. And to both of them, it felt like absolutely nothing changed.
She whimpered softly as his lips trailed down her jaw and to her neck, already working to mark her with his wet parted lips.
She chewed her lower lip, digging her nails into his shoulders.
"No lovebites…please. My dad'll kill you."
He laughed softly from his place under her ear.
"I don't doubt that. Don't worry, relax, and just enjoy it." He replied huskily.
When did his voice get so damned sexy? She moaned as he ran his tongue down her neck, leaning down to focus his attention on her collarbone. He slid the neckline of her v-neck t-shirt over, bearing a bit more of her shoulder. He kissed the tender pale skin.
"Teddy?"
"Mm?"
"You'll always be my best friend, right?"
She stared out the window as she said it, words drifting over his head.
He lifted his lips from her, raising himself back up to look in her eyes.
"Always."
He kissed her, roughly and intensely.
On her own accord, she worked the hem of her own shirt up, pulling away from him for a moment to shuck it over her head. He stared at her, wide-eyed with surprise.
"You didn't have to—"
"I wanted to." She placed her hands on either of his shoulders, leaning back. She was blushing, but allowing him and amazing view.
"We can take it slow." He still refused to look down, locking eyes with her.
"We can take it any pace we want." She replied, taking one of his large hands in her delicate, manicured ones and placed it on a bra-clad breast. He flinched, shutting his eyes tight and groaning, while she herself suppressed a pleasured cry.
He stroke a thumb over her nipple, she whimpered, high pitched and nervous, before blushing even more and burying her face in his shoulder.
"You might want to be a bit quieter, your parents are…"
"Gone." She bit her lip at his continuing movements over her breast, his other handing kneading the forgotten one. "At-oh god-Gran's. Everyone is. I stayed home to see you. Oh fuck."
"I'll take it your enjoying yourself?" he teased, pinching her nipples lightly. She gasped loudly, kissing him deeply to try and calm down.
She pulled back, flipped her hair out of her face, and ground herself down on the growing erection she was straddling. They both hissed in pleasure, him a bit louder than her.
"Are you?" she asked back with a wink.
Reaching behind her, he unclasped her bra. They locked eyes, she nodded before he let it fall, pulling it off her willing arms. He took a minute to throw it to the side before looking at her topless. She gave him points for respect. She never thought of him as a gentlemen in the bedroom, well, she didn't think of him in the bedroom that much, so she was surprised by the tenderness her showed her.
"Merlin, Vic…"
Thin and pale, with a few scattered freckles on the porcelain skin, she was truly without flaw. She had decent-sized breasts for her thin frame, bigger than a skinny girl like her usually had.
His hands reached back up to touch them, and they felt perfect there.
He gentle rubbed one hardened nipple; bring his mouth down to suck on the other. She chewed her lip in anticipation as she noticed what he was doing, crying out when his tongue wrapped around and tight bud and suckled.
"Teddy-ah-please not so-oh-rough."
He chuckled, rolling it between his teeth gently, causing her to buck against him. The bud in his hand was being pinched almost enough to hurt.
Her hands fisted tightly in his hair, holding him in his place.
"Don-don't stop." She whined.
He ran his tongue over her nipple in response, then switched breasts, already sucking on the one lacking his treatment.
"Feel good?" he hummed against her chest.
The vibrations his words caused sent shivers down her spine.
"Merlin Teddy, yessss…." She hissed.
He pulled his head away, grabbing a breast in each hand once again, kneading away.
He gave her a secret smile, a rare one, like when they used to joke around with the younger cousins by hiding their conversation from them.
"We should have done this a long time ago."
She laughed. "I'm only sixteen. It's kind of good I waited this long to try anything."
His eyes went elsewhere nervously.
"So you've never…done that before?"
She shook her head, leaning towards his ear in false-secrecy. They were the only ones in the house, she could have shouted if she wanted. "You're the first guy to ever see those."
He shut his eyes, thanking Merlin for his luck.
He gave them a squeeze for good measure. "Good. I love these. I hope this makes them all the more mine."
She swatted him playfully. "Teddy." She scolded.
"You're so gorgeous." He promised again.
She leaned in for a kiss.
"You're the one person where it actually meant something when you said that." She whispered against his lips.
He grunted, trailing a hand down to rub her through her jeans, very gently.
"Oh Teddy…" she sighed.
"I can stop if we're moving too fast." He offered one last time.
She wrapped her arms tight around his neck.
"Teddy, don't you dare. With you, it's never fast enough." She insisted, giggling.
He was already working off her jeans.
"I hope I enjoy this half as much as you're going to." He boasted, earning a smile and a smack from his best friend.
…..
(One year later)
As she leaned against the scratchy brick wall, she knew she wasn't ready to go. She brushed the sole of her shoe against it boredly. Teddy said nothing, just played with the ends of her hair.
"The train will be leaving soon." She pointed out for the millionth time, knowing it would take more than a sufficient amount of prodding to get him to his damned point so she could actually make it to school. She knew he'd eventually give her a goodbye of some sort, in his way, but it was going to take some effort. She already saw his usually electric blue hair had deepened to a near navy, the only inclination she was given he was sad to say goodbye to her.
"Yeah…" he said vaguely, eyes flickering up from her hair to her face for scarcely a moment.
"Just think an entire year without me to be there with you…" she attempted, eyebrows raised, hoping he'd accept the offer, he remained as impartial as ever.
"All those cold and lonely nights," she ran a hand up his arm, over his shoulder, fingers curling around the base of his neck, "Without me there to hold or snog or cater to my every whim."
He nodded absently; still seeming to stare right through her. Her breath huffed out her nose.
"Maybe I'll find some nice guy from Slytherin and we could go to Hogsmead together…"
She was interrupted by being pushed back against the wall in a furious kiss from Teddy.
She lost track of the intense, mind-blowing kisses that graced her lips, forceful and longing, as she tangled her hands in his hair.
He wrapped her in a tight embrace, they'd never had a goodbye before, there was never this great an urgency to be close, just for those last fleeting moments.
She was vaguely aware of one of Harry's sons running up to them. Teddy snapped something at him, and he ran off. Even as he was scaring the kid off, she was peppering the side of his face with kisses, pulling him closer, tangling her hands deeper into his hair.
When the kid was gone, he turned back to her.
"I don't want you to go." He murmured in her ear.
She shivered, and guiltily wrapped her arms around him, eyeing the train.
"I don't want to go either. But I have to..."
"I know." He blurted out, "it's incredibly selfish for me to even consider you staying, it's stupid, I'll see you on holiday, but still. It's just being without you for so long."
"I'll write you every day." She promised, more for her own sake than his. She blinked back tears. She just hoped he'd listen to her every day, even through letters. She never expected this goodbye, she thought he'd brush her off and she'd leave slightly peeved. She never thought he'd acknowledge the fact he'd miss her.
"Don't let a single guy go so far as touch you. I'll kill him."
She smiled. "I think I can handle myself."
He wrapped and arm around her wrist, pulling her in to whisper something in her ear. She immediately got the inclination it was something dirty.
"When you get home for Christmas, I will lock us in my room for hours, and you will not be able to walk until New Years, Gorgeous." He gave her bum a squeeze under her robes for good measure.
She yelped, swatting his sneaky hands away.
"Pinky swear?" she held up the finger, still looking like a saucy minx at the innocent task.
"Cross my heart, hope to die." He promised.
"Never." She grinned ruefully. Her face grew grim. "Promise you'll always be my best friend?"
He wrapped her tight in her arms, knowing she'd be leaving them in moments,
"Always."
He let her go with a deep kiss, hoping it would last her to Hogwarts, before sending her on her way the cars with a gentle swat to the bottom. She laughed, waving over her shoulder. He saw a few moments later she took a window seat, and pressed her face to the glass, making faces at him like a child. He laughed softly. Always his Victoire. Always.
Her eyes stayed locked on his until the train pulled away, waving at him with a sad smile. He was already eager for Christmas, counting down the days in his head like he was a young boy again.
Once the train was out of sight, he decided to join the Potters, missing another child this year and soon Lily in two years. He approached them, Harry beaming at his godson proudly.
"Fancy seeing you here, Teddy."
He could tell by his godfather's reckless smile he knew about the snogging behind the wall. Ginny chuckled. She had mentioned to him once she'd love having him as an actual nephew. They were all falling into the match made in heaven scheme. He winced.
Lily ran up, face tearful. He gave her a sympathetic smile.
"I can't go for two whole years." She whined.
Her parents held their tongues, but rolled their tired eyes heavenward, they'd obviously had their fair share of this argument.
He slung Lily over his shoulders; she squealed and grabbed fistfuls of his blue hair. Much to her delight, he changed to color for her, blue to green to yellow to orange, until the shades had copied every color of the rainbow. Harry shot him a grateful look, Lily had not settled down all morning over jealousy of her brothers.
His godfather clapped him on the back, leading them to the car.
"So, what's this I hear about Victoire Weasley? You have to watch those Veelas, right Teddy?"
"You're right, Uncle Harry, always."
She'd always be his best friend. His Victoire. No matter what changed between them, it was the one thing to stay the same.