Teddy&Lily. Hadn't that always been such a strange mouthful? (Teddy&Victoire always sounded much better, darling, and you hated it.) It never quite fit on your tongue, not ever as well as the bitter coffee that stains your lips almost constantly or the firewhiskey sliding down your throat. It almost felt forced, actually.
But you managed, didn't you? Through the 'It'll never work's and the 'You don't fit together's, you kept pushing yourself to love him and, Godric, you loved that hazel-eyed, cerulean-haired boy, didn't you, Lily-flower? He was all that you ever asked for, and as soon as you graduated Hogwarts, a proud Gryffindor, he was all yours.
The year following your graduation was a whirlwind of blue and hazel and tan and white and red. You can't even remember anything other than Teddy. You don't even think there was anything else to remember. You ignored Hugo and Stella's phone calls. You didn't write back Mum or Dad or Al or James. Hell, you didn't even go to the Burrow for holidays. That was the Teddy year, as your brood of cousins called it.
And then he ripped it apart with four little words.
"This isn't working, Lils."
It's the night of Aunt Audrey's Christmas party, and you've got one earring in and your dress is still in the garment bag, and he's lying in bed, shirtless, and you can't even breathe, because your worst nightmare is coming true, and there's nothing you can do to stop him as he Apparates away, essentially walking out of your life forever. Instead, you just throw on your little black dress, slide into your heels, slip in the other earring and put on the bravest face you've worn yet.
You never quite fit, anyways, Lily-flower, and nobody but you ever really expected it to last long.
[a/n]: So, this is horribly short and absolutely terrible, but I hope 'coffee-stained lips' likes it enough. (:
