There's no salvation for me now,

No space among the clouds,

And I've seen that I'm heading down,

But that's alright,

Lover To Lover -Florence + The Machine

Chapter 1: Cursed

"Hey Vicky, do you know the answer to number five?" Britney Goldstein's voice rang out clearly across the Ravenclaw common room. Several heads turned in interest, Victoire Weasley looked up from her book unwillingly.

"No."

"Oh, well sorry to bother you then", Britney said apologetically, and Victoire gave the slightest of nods before returning to her book. It was one of her favourites, a muggle one called Pride and Prejudice. Every autumn since she was thirteen she'd read it, letting the mazy story of deception unfold inside her head. Unfortunately Britney didn't seem to be done with her yet.

"You know the test is tomorrow Vicky, I could help you study if you want to." Britney smiled sweetly across the two tables that separated them, the buzzing inside the common room had gone completely quiet. Victoire narrowed her eyes at the bouncy honey blonde girl with the sweet smile, she couldn't believe that no one else saw how fake it was.

"I'm fine, thanks", she said, almost managing to keep the venom out of her voice.

"Really, are you sure? I've been told I'm a great tutor." Britney's smile grew even wider if possible, Victoire wondered if her face would crack from the pressure. Unfortunately it didn't.

"It's true, she's been helping me a lot!" An enthusiastic voice cut it, and Victoire didn't have to glance to the side to know who it belonged too.

"Thanks Anthony", Britney chirped. Victoire saw Anthony Corner's face split into a charming smile from the praise. She couldn't blame him, everyone smiled when praised by Britney Goldstein.

"I'm fine", Victoire said forcefully "Really."

"Okay, just trying to help" Britney said with a sigh as Victoire returned to her book. Her eyes had barely focused on the first sentence before she heard the sniggering from Britney and her two girlfriends. She tried to shut it out, especially as everyone else went back to their previous discussions and the common room was once again embedded in a cosy murmur of voices. But one voice somehow pitched through them all, making it impossible for her to concentrate.

"-I mean, I was just trying to help her, god knows how she got into Ravenclaw, she has no brains! If she'd let me help then maybe she wouldn't be such an outsider-" Britney's voice was buried in the agreement from her two friends, Jennifer Chambers and Morgan Adams. Unfortunately those three gossiping girls were also Victoire's fellow sixth-year girl dormmates.

With a sigh she sunk lower down into the blue armchair. She'd gotten to the part were Elizabeth read Darcy's letter, one of her favourite parts. She'd thrown her bare legs up across the armchair, so that she was half-lying in it. Soon she'd forgotten about Britney and was once again lost in Elizabeth's troubles. But it didn't last for long.

"Ehrm, Victoire?" She recognized the tentative voice, the sort of voice all boys got when they were around her. She glanced around her book to find Anthony hovering above her.

"Yes?"

"I uhm, I could study with you if you want-" he cleared his throat nervously, glancing backwards. Victoire noticed with satisfaction that Britney was watching them irritably. "- I know Britney can be a bit…intense", he finished, eyes on the wall behind Victoire. She looked him up and down for once, he was actually quite good looking, quidditch-toned body, warm eyes and a well sculptured face framed by brown curls. He was chaser on their quidditch team, one of the best looking boys in their year, quite a catch.

Her mother would have approved.

"Tell me about it" she found herself answering with a laugh before she'd even made a decision. Her laughter brought a smile from Anthony, making him grow bolder.

"So, you want to?"

"Sure, why not?" Her eyes fluttered past him and caught Britney's, yep, Britney definitely didn't like this. Which meant that Victoire did. "I'll see you in the library tomorrow night?" She added to Anthony, resting her chin on the top of her book. He broke into an almost adorable smile that reminded her of a happy puppy.

"Great! I'll see you then!"

"Splendid." Just for the sake of it she slid out of the armchair and stood up, she let her hand linger on Anthony's shoulder for a moment. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight", he blinked dazedly, and she smiled to herself as she turned her back against him and left the common room. Once she was out of sight she could hear the room erupting in voices again.

The sixth year girls dormitory was two stairs up, and she took the steps two at a time. She would have about twenty minutes before the other girls decided to go to bed, and those few solitary moments were heaven.

She kicked away a pair of heels when she stepped through the door, and almost tripped over a towel someone had left on the floor. Four girls in one room, the place was chaotic even if the house elves cleaned every night. Charing a bathroom was worst, the shower was always occupied and the mirror too. So she decided to take the opportunity and shower now, instead of tomorrow morning.

She stepped out of everything except her underwear and then wrapped the thick bronze coloured towel around her. Tiptoeing she made her way to the bathroom, stripped out of the last pieces of clothing and stepped into the shower. The hot water rinsed away her troubles, and too soon she heard the other girls entering their dormitory. She shut the water off and wrapped the towel around herself again. Someone banged on the door, and she heard Britney's voice.

"C'mon hurry, there's more of us who live here you know!"

"Couldn't forget even if I wanted too!" She screamed back, rewarded with a growl. Victoire grinned to herself in the mirror, and the pale girl on the other side grinned back. She was beautiful, even with her usually flowing light blonde hair hanging in wet stripes around her heart shaped face. She had large grey-blue eyes framed with thick long eyelashes casting shadows down her faintly freckled cheekbones. Perfectly shaped eyebrows and a seductive arch of her lips. She knew she was good looking, with the flowing hair and the long legs, and she knew it was because of her veela-blood. The same reason boys tripped over their own feet when around her.

Probably the reason Britney and the other girls hated her guts.

Victoire knew she was beautiful, she knew she could get a boy simply by smiling towards him. Her mother told her it was a gift, but she'd never seen it that way, it felt more like a curse. She couldn't be friends with girls because of it, almost all boys found it too intimidating. Everybody had a tendency to start acting and lying around her, and she could never really get close to anyone.

Britney for example, they'd been friends once upon a time, in their first and second year, but once they turned thirteen Britney had turned on her. She'd started rumours about Victoire and talked behind her back. Soon their friendship had turned to coldness and enmity.

That's about the time when she stopped trying, stopped trying to be the lovely girl everyone wanted her to be. She'd found comfort in books, and the few friends she had left.

"Victoire!" Britney's voice cut through the door again, and she rolled her eyes while finishing brushing her teeth and stepping into her silk pyjamas. With the towel around her hair she threw the door up, successfully smacking Britney in the face.

"Ooops", she grinned as she walked by.

"Bitch." Britney said under her breath, only loud enough for Victoire to hear before the door fell shut behind her. The other girls were busy looking around for their things and getting ready for the night, Victoire bid neither of them goodnight before she pulled the drapes around her bed.

The next morning Victoire made her way down to the great hall for breakfast by herself, as usual. But when she entered, she heard a familiar voice calling her name across the room.

Dominique, her sister, were waving wildly at her from the Gryffindor table. She was surrounded by the rest of the family, including her brother, who was a first year. Victoire was the oldest, and Dominique was two years younger then her and in her fourth year. If Victoire saw her beauty as a curse, Dom saw it as a gift, she knew exactly how to use it. She could charm anybody into doing her bidding in that cheerful way that also let her keep friends. Sometimes Victoire wondered if they were real friends though, or just hung with Dom because of what she called a curse.

Everyone had turned around from Dom's waving, and one of them broke into a smile she couldn't resist. A smile that melted through her icy shield. She felt her lips turn upwards into a grin, the kind of smile only Teddy Lupin could conjure from her.

"Vicky Vicky, guess what?" Dom was jumping on the spot with excitement when Victoire reached them. Teddy caught her eye again, and they exchanged one of their wordless-glances.

"No what?" She sat down next to her brother, the youngest in the group, and in front of Teddy. Teddy was a seventh year, and the two of them where the oldest of the cousins. Well, he wasn't actually related, but he was uncle Harry's godson, and they counted him as one. Other than them there was Molly, fifth year, Fred, fourth year, James, third year, Lucy and Roxanne second year, and Louis.

"There's going to be an All Hallows Eve ball!" Dom squealed in an exited voice, as if the news were a gift from above.

"That's what this whole commotion is about?" Victoire said, immediately growing bored. Teddy grinned across the table at her, and her stomach fluttered involuntarily. If Anthony was one of the most popular boys in her year, Teddy was the most eligible one in the whole school. He was captain of the Gryffindor team, tall but toned from being a keeper. He had warm golden brown eyes, often blue hair and a wicked smile, he also happened to be her best friend.

"Apparently there's been a bit of a strain on the relationship between the houses according to the teachers and they thought it be a good way for us all to make nice." Teddy explained meaningfully, Victoire knew exactly what he meant. The hostility between Slytherin and the other houses hadn't exactly shrunken since the war, it had grown even worse, fuelled by defeat.

"How sweet of them." She said sarcastically, but her words were drowned out by Dominique's exited chattering. Victoire settled with heaving up some food, delighted that she wasn't on the topic for once.

Looking up she found that Teddy was also quiet, their eyes met for a short second, and then he looked back down in the table. Was she just imagining it or was his eyes a shade darker then usual? He didn't look at her again during the whole breakfast, and when he waved goodbye to the group to go to his first class, he didn't meet her eyes.

Strange.

She couldn't let it go all the way to her potions classroom, and she was still pondering over the possibilities of his quickly changing mood when she sat down on her usual spot in the front of the class. The seat next to her was already occupied, and Priscill Vaisey gave her a once over look.

"You look rarely un-dazzling for being you." The black-haired girl said, and Victoire sent her a glare. That was probably the most kind way Pri had of asking her how she was feeling.

"It's nothing."

"Okay." Pri didn't ask further, because she didn't care. Hers and Victoire's relationship didn't extend beyond normal chit chat, Victoire wouldn't even categorize her as a friend. Maybe a companion, someone of a similar mind.

Funny how she found her match in a stone-faced slytherin girl who only smiled when someone tripped or got hit by a quaffle in a quidditch game. But somehow they'd developed their kind of "companionship" over the years. They were the only one who sat beside someone from the opposite house in their potions class, the rest of the Slytherins and Ravenclaw's kept as far away from each other as possible. Well, except for-

"Hey Weasley!" The voice reached her only a second before she felt something hit her in the back of her head. She turned around to glare at Elijah Nott, picking the quill out of her hair.

"Heard you're dating Corner now, why don't you go out with a real man instead?" Elijah hollered, and it was impossible for her to ignore him. Lucky Anthony wasn't in this class at least. Beside her Priscill turned around.

"Corner really? You can do better"

"Like Elijah?" She hissed under her breath, seeing him getting out of his seat in her peripheral vision. Elijah was on the slytherin quidditch team, and he was brutal.

"Well at least he's not boring", said Pri and Victoire had to act like she didn't agree with her companion as Elijah rounded their table. Pri had leaned back with a lazy smile, watching the show front row.

"So, what do you say?" Elijah leaned against the table, he was handsome, she couldn't deny that, with pale skin, dark eyes and tousled black hair. She also couldn't deny that she liked the way he wasn't unsure. And to be entirely true, she'd rather go out with him anytime instead of Anthony. But she'd only agreed to the studying session because she wanted to piss Britney off.

"I'm not interested in bullies" she said vaguely, barely giving him a glance. Pri sniggered beside her.

"You hurt me Weasley, when have I ever done anything against you?"

"Oh, I'm not talking about me." She smiled, the seductive kind, and she knew she had him hooked as she handed him back his pencil. "I think you dropped this." Who said she couldn't play with him a little after all?

"Students please be seated!" The teacher came in, effectively ending all banter and chattering. Elijah bent down quickly, his hand resting on her shoulder, just over her collarbone for a short second.

"Tease." He whispered, and then he was gone, sauntering back towards his table. Victoire had to restrain herself not to turn around and look after him.

"Told ya", Pri said faintly beside her "He's not boring."

No, he's dangerous. A small voice in the back of her hair said, she pushed it away.

Due to Elijah she actually forgot about Teddy's strange behaviour until dinnertime when she saw him again. He was sitting with his friends at the end of the Gryffindor table, and instead of passing them and sitting down at the Ravenclaw table alone, she walked over towards him with determined steps.

His friends noticed her before he did since he had his back against her. They all straightened up, poking at Teddy. Maybe she was an outcast to them, hanging with slytherins, but she was still part Veela and they all grinned stupidly as she came closer. Teddy turned around slowly just as she reached them, she crossed her arms. Partly because she felt like everyone was staring at her, partly because she was trying to look intimidating.

"Hi", Teddy said with a smile, but it seemed a bit strained.

"Can I talk to you for a moment?" She raised an eyebrow.

"Sure." He stood up unwillingly, or was she just overanalyzing his movements? They walked in silence through the doors, but once they were out of sight from the hall, she rounded on him.

"Are you angry with me or something? Because if you are I'd like to know what I did."

"I'm not angry with you Vicky." He looked at the ground, hands deeply thrust into the pockets of his robe. His eyes were lighter again, but more greenish than brown. He wasn't lying, but there was definitely something he wasn't telling her.

"Then why can't you even look at me?" Her voice grew softer, she simply needed to know. He finally looked up, his face was strained.

"I- I'm sorry, it'll be better in a few days", he stuttered, and then fled, leaving Victoire alone in the deserted hallway. She watched his retreating back with growing confusion.

She ate by herself that evening, she didn't mind though, she propped her tattered copy of Pride and Prejudice up on the table and let the imaginary characters be her company. The old muggle world always fascinated her to no end.

She tried her best to keep her thoughts of Teddy out of her head as she made her way to the library after dinner. Seeing Anthony simply to annoy Britney had lost most of it's previous excitement to her, and she couldn't quite conceal her boredom as she sat down in front of him at one of the tables. His face lit up again in that puppydog-eyed way.

"So, the history test-" He immediately started explaining and she only listened with one ear. She already knew all the answers, question five was quite a simple one even. Across the room her eyes fell on Chambers and Adams, both girls looked down the moment her eyes fell on them.

So Britney had sent someone to check up on her and Anthony? That immediately made things a lot more interesting.

When she turned back to Anthony she was wearing one of her dazzling smiles, and she could practically see the wires in his brain fretting away, making him stumble across his words.

"So, uhm, question seven, the Goblin Rebellion- uh, it started about-"

"I actually already know the answers", she said, looking down at the table, playing with a strand of her hair. She knew she looked shy and somewhat embarrassed in that position. Anthony leaned forward, his embarrassment fading when he saw hers.

"Then why did you not answer Britney?"

"Well I- I actually wanted a reason to see you." She kept her gaze at the table until the last word, and then gazed up behind a curtain of silvery hair. The bussing wires in his brain seemed to get a short circuit, and she knew she had him wrapped around her finger completely.

"Really?" He breathed, and she traced small circles across the table, letting out a small laugh.

"Why is that so hard to believe? You've got tons of girls wanting you." That wasn't a lie, he was popular.

"But- I mean- you." He seemed to be in some kind of daze, but this actually caught her interest.

"What do you mean me?"

"You're so… unattainable."

"I am?" For once she was actually surprised, it was Anthony's time to laugh.

"Are you kidding me? You turn guys down daily and they still line up for you."

"Oh."

"And I'm one of them." Anthony's cheeks reddened.

"One what?" She was still confused.

"One in the line", he explained kindly, she smiled gracefully. Time to pick things up a notch.

"You're first in line", she said in a low voice, and then leaned across the table. She pressed her lips against his softly, he responded immediately, tentatively of course. She decided to make one final blow, and parted her lips slightly to deepen the kiss. Just when she heard him gasp softly she pulled away, a shy smile on her newly-kissed lips.

"I'm sorry I-" she started, and he caught her hand.

"Don't be- I mean, that was amazing, I can't tell you how many times I've dreamed about-" he fell silent, the blush not quite fading away. It was quite adorable, like a dog who begged for more candy. She allowed herself one quick glance towards Chambers and Adams, and caught a glimpse of their retreating backs as they disappeared out from the library.

Now it was time for her departure too. Still with a blush on her face she stood up hastily, gathering her stuff in a pile and pressing it against her chest. Anthony confusedly followed her movements.

"I have to go-", she stuttered like the love struck girl she was supposed to be.

"But stay!" Anthony reached for her, but she backed away.

"I'm sorry." She turned on her heel and ran out of the library.

Once she was out of sight she slowed down, she put her bag up on a windowsill and put her papers and books in neatly. Well he was definitely in love with her now, the only problem was for how long she was going to play him like this. She didn't want him to be completely broken when she finally dumped him.

By now Chambers and Adams must have gotten the news to Britney, a winning grin spread across her lips as she thought how angry the other girl must be. She could practically see her spitting out ugly words about her as the other two nodded in agreement.

Victoire didn't feel like going back to her dormitory yet though, and there was still some time left until curfew. It was already dark outside, but the moon was full and illuminating. She decided she'd go for a quick stroll.

With her bag thrown across her shoulder she made it down to the grounds, when she pushed through the door the air wrapped around her like a cold hug. Her breath crystallised in the October wind. She shuddered under her shirt and blazer, but didn't want to go up and get her cloak. Instead she bit her lips together and strolled across the yard.

Fifteen minutes later her teeth were shattering and her fingers numb, she decided to head back. She half walked half ran back, the bag bouncing against her side. Her own breathing and the bouncing of her bag filled her ears, and she didn't hear the voices until she actually rounded the corner.

She froze, immediately backing back into the shadows. It was already past curfew now, who was out at this late hour?

Once she stood still the voices were crystal clear, only muffled by a whimpering sound. She leaned against the wall, slowly poking her head around it. There, by the entrance door, stood four large boys, they all had their backs towards her, hovering over something.

She suddenly realized that the whimpering came from a another shadow, a small boy pressed up against the wall in front of the large ones. His bag lay beside him, the items scattered all across the grass. His uniform was all messed up, ripped and muddy.

"-Filthy muggle blood-" Words finally reached her from one of the large shadows, and she had to withhold a gasp. Gabriel Lestrange.

To go to Hogwarts and not know Gabriel Lestrange was impossible, the lost son of the famous Bellatrix Lestrange. He was known for his brutality, especially on field. He'd even been expelled for a few months last year. He was a seventh year, and was always followed around by his slytherin thug friends.

While she was too shocked to move Lestrange had thrown a punch into the boy's stomach, he doubled over in pain, and the other shadows laughed. Victoire suppressed a whimper as the boy fell to the ground. She recognized him, he was in Louis's year, a muggle-born boy.

"Gabriel take it easy- you don't want to get expelled again." One of the shadows had moved to catch Lestrange's arm, he'd moved his leg back as if to kick the boy. Instead his foot collided with one of the scattered books. This time Victoire was too slow, and a small shriek escaped her lips. The other boy was Elijah.

The four of them turned around simultaneously, and she knew they'd seen her as she ducked back in behind the wall.

"There's someone there!" One of the guys said.

"What are you waiting for, get him!" She heard Lestrange growl as she ran. She heard footsteps behind her moments later, she reached for her wand, but it was buried deep in her bag.

A stunning spell hit her in the back, and she fell forward, scraping her knees and palms in the grass. She knew she was done the moment she fell, and felt a pair of strong fingers lace around her arm, dragging her up roughly. Suddenly she found herself eye to eye with Elijah, his eyes widened, and his grip loosened for a moment. Then his friend caught up with them, one of Lestrange's thugs. His eyes also widened as he recognized her.

"What are you doing here?!" Elijah hissed, his grip once again thigh around her arm as she tried to pull away.

"What are you doing to that boy?!" She shrieked, kicking wildly, the other guy had caught her other arm, and they had her in an iron grip between them. Despite her vigorous attempts to break free they managed to drag her back to Lestrange without much difficulty. Lestrange was just stepping away from the boy, who sobbing tried to get on his feet. He looked up at Victoire for a second, fear and tears in his eyes. Lestrange grabbed him by the collar, leaning down to speak in the trembling boys ear.

"One word about this, and she-" he nodded towards Victoire, "-dies." Victoire kicked out again in fear and chock, the seventh year boy on her left wrapped a muscular arm right around her neck in a strangling grip. Her eyes watered, he was blocking her airways.

"Do you understand me?" Lestrange asked the boy mildly, almost with a smile. Victoire blinked away enough tears to see the trembling boy nodding. "Get out of here." Lestrange shoved away the boy roughly, who fell to the ground and then scrambled for the door. She clawed at her capturers arms, and finally felt the pressure easing. He released her completely, and she fell to the ground gasping for air.

Lestrange hovered above her, a dark silhouette against the moonlit sky. Her brain was still foggy.

"Asshole", she managed to spit out, and Lestrange laughed.

"I like it when the pretty ones are fiery, don't you boys?" A murmur of agreement, Victoire searched for Elijah. She couldn't believe he'd go this far. He wasn't looking at her, he was facing away.

"Bring her up." Lestrange ordered, and someone pulled her up roughly again, moments later she was pressed up against the wall, Lestrange's arm pressed up against her throat. He was about a head taller than her, sturdy built and already had the face of a man. A scar ran across his left eyebrow, she wanted dearly to give him another one.

"Veela right?" He spun delightedly, running his other hand through her hair. "This must be new for you, to not be the one in control."

All she could do was gasp in response, he rolled his eyes, and the arm left her throat. Instead it travelled from her neck down to her collar, his hand unbuttoning another button. She shrieked, not having enough air to call for help she tried to push him away. His hand came to a stop as he'd revealed the hem of her bra, but it wasn't because of her feeble attempts. Elijah had moved forward, and Lestrange turned around with a humorous grin.

"You like this girl Nott?"

"Who doesn't?" Elijah grinned, and Lestrange pursed his lips.

"She is hopelessly pretty." His hand went up to her face again, harshly catching her jaw, turning it upwards to force her to look at him. She growled, trying to wrench free. Lestrange sighed, suddenly letting go of her completely. She staggered towards the ground, Elijah diving for her. He crouched down next to her as Lestrange looked down at them both, his two thugs joining in behind him.

"If you keep her from talking I wont touch her Nott, but one word and I lose my patience."

"Thank you, I promise you won't have too." Elijah said, and Lestrange turned around swiftly to walk back into the castle. Victoire didn't breathe until the door fell shut behind the three boys.

Elijah's hand reached for her, but she scrambled away. He let her get up herself on unsteady legs, her voice was still hoarse as she spoke.

"What the hell Nott? What are you doing with these guys? They're criminals!"

"They wouldn't kill the boy, not really." Elijah said, but she could see that he didn't believe it himself.

"I'm telling the headmistress, now!" She moved towards the door, but Elijah's hand caught her already sore arm.

"No!"

"They are dangerous and they hurt that boy! We can't let them get away with it!" She was starting to get air back into her lungs and her voice rose. Elijah whipped her around, putting one hand on her mouth.

"Shut the fuck up!" He wheezed, and for the first time Victoire actually felt scared of him. "If you say one word about this to anyone we're both going to get hurt, you get it?" She nodded slowly against his hand, and he let it fall.

"I'm sorry you had to get dragged into this, but if you just pretend like nothing ever happened things will be fine, okay?"

"Okay…" She rubbed her neck, he grimaced slightly.

"I'm sorry about that-", he reached out towards her, but she edged away.

"Don't you dare touch me."

"You owe me your life!" He hissed back, but she kept backing back towards the door. Then she turned and ran.

AN: First time I'm writing something from Victoire Weasley's point of view, she's always been kind of a bitch in my stories, or boring. I thought it be fun to try and do a piece and try her character out, even though I still can't make her very nice. It's just no fun writing nice characters you know?

This story actually started out as a humorous one, but it turned quite dark instead. Anyway, hope you like it and I'd love it if you left me a review!

/Facetake