A/N: This fic is dedicated to Vicky (vicky199416) for being a lovely friend who can always make me smile when I'm feeling down - I'm so glad I stumbled across your profile, darling. :)
Because I'm a pro at multitasking, it's also for the Diversity Competition (I had to write a nextgen fic).
And also for the Scenery Competition (I had to include this scene: "Golden sunlight filtered through the trees, giving the forest an unearthly hue. The ground was covered in with a thick rich dark green moss. Great thorny rose vines wound their ways up the tall trees, covered in blossoming bright red roses.").
Enjoy!
"Teddy, where are we going?" she demanded for what seemed like the hundredth time, as they trudged across the seemingly endless stretch of fields.
Victoire Weasley liked to be in control. As would be expected for the first child to be born after the war, she had been rather spoilt when she was younger and got whatever she wanted just by making as big a fuss as she needed. Of course, things didn't quite work like that anymore, but Victoire was still fond of making plans and always liked to know what was coming around the corner.
So she didn't like surprises.
"It's a surprise," Teddy said mysteriously, trying to wink but creasing up his face adorably in the attempt; he had never been able to wink without shutting the other eye as well.
Victoire suppressed a smile and pretended to be upset, resorting to the puppy eyes. "But... but you know I don't like surprises," she whined hopefully. She had Teddy wrapped around her little finger. The puppy eyes worked every time.
But not this time. "You'll like this one," he promised stubbornly, and Victoire scowled. "And nothing you can do will make me tell you," he added, as she opened her mouth to protest.
Victoire sighed in defeat. "Fine," she said grudgingly. "But it's not too much further, is it? These shoes really aren't suitable for walking long distances," she complained, stopping to lean against the fence as she adjusted one of them on her feet. She kept grumbling. "You could at least have told me to dress suitably."
"Oh, stop being such a wimp," Teddy said, laughing. "It's not much further, okay? It should be coming up, actually..."
"You mean you don't even know?" Victoire exclaimed in horror. "If you've got us lost, Teddy Lupin..." she began to threaten, but obviously couldn't think of a threat that was serious enough. "Why didn't we just Apparate?" she asked instead.
"Because it's more fun this way," Teddy answered simply, and he resumed his cheerful whistling.
"You find this fun?" Victoire muttered darkly under her breath, but Teddy either didn't hear or pretended not to.
The two of them kept walking across field after field until they reached a hill. Once they reached the top, Victoire could see the trees, which had been sparse in the previous meadows, get denser, until they formed a little wood. The path split two ways; one continued across the meadows, whereas the other headed for the forest. Victoire's stride strayed towards the meadows, but Teddy kept walking purposefully towards the wood.
Victoire was surprised. "We're going in there?" she asked as Teddy carried on briskly.
"Yep," he replied, but he didn't say anything else.
The path kept winding, down the hill and into the valley where the clump of trees was. They got nearer and nearer, until the path took them to a gap in the trees and they entered the forest.
Victoire gasped. The sight took her breath away. Golden sunlight filtered through the trees, giving the forest an unearthly hue. The ground was covered in with a thick rich dark green moss. Great thorny rose vines wound their ways up the tall trees, covered in blossoming bright red roses. Teddy stood by nervously as Victoire walked over to one of them. It had been raining recently, so raindrops clung to the roses, making them even more beautiful. Absently, Victoire reached out and touched one of them. The raindrop flowed onto her fingertip, running down it prettily until it fell to the floor.
Meanwhile, Teddy had started chuntering rapidly. "Do you like it? We don't have to stay here if you don't... I mean, we have plenty of time, so we could always go somewhere else; I know you're not the most outdoorsy person, but I thought we should do something different, and -"
She suddenly silenced him by pressing her lips to his. The kiss was intense; both of them could feel all the emotion and unsaid words being poured into it.
"It was a lovely surprise," Victoire told him gently when they had broken apart. Teddy beamed. "Thank you. But how did you know about this place?" she asked in wonder, looking around her again.
"Grandma told me about it," Teddy said, still grinning. "She brought me here once. Apparently Grandad used to take her here, before they ran away together."
Somehow, to Victoire, the thought of the place having family history made it seem even more romantic. She started to sit down, but Teddy stopped her.
"Wait!" he instructed, rummaging around in his backpack. After a moment, he withdrew first a rug, and then a huge old-fashioned picnic hamper which should not have been able to fit in there.
Teddy smoothed out the picnic rug and gestured for Victoire to sit down. She did, and she raised her eyebrows questioningly at him.
"Oh, Undetectable Extension Charm," he said, in answer to Victoire's puzzled look. "Your Aunt Hermione taught it to me."
"Oh!" Victoire exclaimed, laughing. The story of Hermione's magic bag was one of the more commonly told stories in the Weasley clan, especially when they were young children. Some of the other details of the war were a bit less suitable for everyday retelling.
Teddy produced two glasses from the hamper, putting one down beside him and passing the other to Victoire. "I brought some of your Grandma's lemonade," he told her proudly. Victoire smiled; Teddy knew that Grandma Weasley's lemonade was her favourite.
He poured her some and she sipped it contentedly, listening to the birdsong. "You planned all this, for me," she said in wonder. "Why?"
Teddy shrugged. "It's just like I said, I thought we should do something different for a change. Something we'll remember. Especially since, you know... soon we won't see each other for quite a long time."
Both of them had been trying not to think about the fact that in less than a month, Victoire would be going back for her seventh year at Hogwarts, whereas Teddy would be starting his first year of Auror training. But they needed to face up to it sooner or later.
Victoire sighed. "I'll miss you, Ted," she said, reaching for his hand and lacing her fingers through his protectively.
"I'll miss you too," he told her, squeezing her hand. "But it's not like it's forever, and you'll be home for the holidays and I can come up and see you on Hogsmeade weekends, provided I'm not working."
"I know," she said, smiling weakly but still not entirely reassured. "It's just..."
"Go on," Teddy prompted when she didn't continue.
Victoire wished she wasn't saying this, but she had to. "You won't... go off me, will you? You won't find some other girl, some Auror girl, and decide you like her more than me?" The words sounded so childish when they came out of her mouth.
"Victoire!" Teddy protested, shocked. "Do you really think I would do that to you?"
"No," she said truthfully. Teddy was the last person who would do anything to upset her - intentionally, anyway. "But I'm a girl - we have these insecurities. Just say, just promise me. Then I won't worry about it anymore."
Teddy cupped her face in his hands and kissed her gently. "I promise," he said firmly. "I love you, Victoire."
"And I love you too," she told him, smiling radiantly.
The lemonade lay forgotten as the two of them lay back on the rug, enjoying their last few moments of calm together in companionable silence. The next year would be tough, but there and then, there was nothing to disturb their peace.
A/N: Okay, I needed to write some fluff - it's been too long. :P This is my first time writing this pairing, so let me know what you thought! :)