The winter holidays had drawn to a close and Teddy Lupin was sitting at the dining table of the Potter household, a mug of butterbeer in his hand and a smile on his face. The Christmas holidays were over and the troop was returning to Hogwarts. He surveyed the trunk-and-owl laden party and sought his object. Victoire Weasley was fiddling with the cage of her owl "Alouette". He felt a warm tingling feeling spreading through his chest that had nothing to do with the butterbeer. He had just finished his sojourn at Hogwarts a year ago and knew how excited they were feeling. Suddenly he became aware of a small figure at his knee for she reached no higher.
"Ted, I think I'm going to be head-girl" said the red haired little girl at his knee.
He scooped her on to the table-top and grinned.
"You know what lily-bean, I think you just might be!" he kissed his god-sister's cheek and set her on the ground for Uncle Harry had emerged from the upper floor and they were ready to leave. Uncle George and Aunt Angelina, who had been staying with the Potters for Christmas, were also coming to platform nine and three quarters to see them off. So in all this was the procession that made its way for the ministry-provided cars (being the head of the auror office di have its advantages as Uncle Harry said).
It was headed by Aunt Hermione, a wad of tickets in her hand and a nervous look on her face, then came James with his trunk, his owl and his pockets full of the Weasley's Wizard Wheezes merchandise that Uncle George had given him for Christmas, next was Rose Weasley who was eager to return to hr prefect duties and to be re-united with her best friend Scorpius, then there was Albus Potter and Hugo Weasley discussing the ghosts of Hogwarts castle even though the latter had never been there, Victoire Weasley and her sister Dominique looked like angels in jumpers (knitted by their Grandma Molly) but were reprimanding their brother Louis behind them for poking them with a stick, behind Louis was Roxanne Weasley and her mother Angelina who was making sure she had not left anything in the house (for she could compete with Luna Lovegood for vagueness), they were followed by Harry Potter and Teddy Lupin who were both reminiscing about their separate days at Hogwarts silently, and the rear was brought up by Aunt Hermione, Aunt Ginny, Uncle Ron and Uncle George. Fleur and Bill Weasley had abstained from the trip to save the car from bursting with people.
Once the seemingly impossible task of shoving everyone in to the car that had been undetectably extended as much as was magically possible. Teddy found that somehow he was next to Victoire. He couldn't bear it. He was sitting next to her, touching her, and yet she wasn't his. He silvery hair brushed against his arms and his cheek. It was like the touch of a heavenly body. He was oblivious to Uncle George's jokes about how the driver looked like a constipated git, to Lily complaining about being left behind, to James pretending that he had left his Standard Book Of Spells Grade 3 at home and causing everyone to gasp. He just knew that as these events took place in the order you just read, Victoire laughed, sympathised and drew her breath sharply. He noticed that she had a locket around her pale neck. He asked her,
"Vi, what's that?" and pointed at it
"Oh that was a Christmas present" she said airily
"A boy or a girl?" he asked, his heart beat quickening
"It was from Aunt Gabrielle actually" she said, a look of suspicion on her face "You don't like it?"
In his haste to answer he accidentally waved his wand and set the roof on fire and Rose screamed, 'Aguamenti'. Water sloshed over all of them and the dry driver smugly announced, "We've reached"
What with getting all the luggage and people and cages out of the car, drying them all and reaching the barrier through which they had to move it was five to eleven by the time they reached. Hastily they jogged through the wall (an old lady who caught sight of them realised she was finally becoming old and seeing things) and started shoving children on to the train. Uncle Ron accidentally shoved someone else's child on; a bewildered looking first year. After he apologised and Aunt Hermione realised that she knew the child's mother (some character named Sally-Anne Carter who appeared to have been in the same year at school with Aunt Hermione when she was Sally-Anne Perks) the whistle blew. Victoire was tying her shoelace and was the last left to board. Steam was billowing, adults were shrieking, children were waving and the whistle was blowing to its heart's content. The perfect setting thought Teddy Lupin.
Then, acting on impulse, he kissed her. They were obscured from view by smoke and it was a quick kiss. She stared with her glowing eyes and as he melted Uncle Harry physically lifted her and dumped her on the train as it started rolling away.
Teddy Lupin grinned as he thought to himself, "She didn't move"