A/N: Hey Hey readers.
This story was influenced by my OTP of Teddy & Victoire, shown in the epilogue of The Deathly Hallows, and my favourite novels 'Wuthering Heights' by Emily Brontë, and 'Emma' by Jane Austen.
If you notice any grammar mistakes feel free to tell me. If you hate it feel free to tell me. If you love it, you are obliged to tell me :P
Most characters/locations in the story belong to the wonderfully talented Queen of England herself, J.K Rowling. Only the plot and a few characters are my imaginings.
Hope you enjoy
Annabeth xx
The sun was shining as I sat cross legged under the shade of the large willow tree by the creek at the back of the Burrow. I was reading my tattered, well- read copy of my favourite book (a muggle one), given to me by Aunt Hermione on my 14th Birthday, called 'Wuthering Heights'. Today was Uncle Harry's 34th birthday which meant the entire Weasley-Potter family migrated to the Burrow for the celebration. As the 'grownups' sat inside, (not that you would consider Uncle Ron and Uncle George as grownups), the majority of my many cousins were outside enjoying the warmth of the setting sun on their backs.
Lily and Hugo were up in the mini-'Burrow', a large tree house that Uncle Charlie and my dad built when they were younger. Inseparable since their respective births within six minutes of each other, Lily and Hugo with flailing arms and grandiose gestures were having an animated discussion about the latest wizard world craze known as 'SSC' or 'Super-Sized Chess', the brainchild that Uncle Ron had developed during the time he worked at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezers.
James was nowhere to be seen, probably off terrorising his brother with the burrow's pesky gnomes, or insects he'd found whilst wandering in the woods by Godric's Hollow. Louis and Dom, my brother and sister, the first whom I get on well with, the latter who is the complete opposite of me and I truly think sometimes genuinely hates me, were practicing their 'bonding' sport of Quidditch with Fred, who was totally convinced he would do a 'Potter' and get put on the house team in his first year.
Roxanne and Molly were sitting with their feet dangling in the rushing water of the creek a little away from me, talking loudly about what they thought their third year of Hogwarts would be like, and then in a whisper, gushing about the apparently 'cute', male transfer student from Australia who would be joining the Third Years. How they knew he was cute when they were yet to see him? Who knows? So I asked. Startled that I had been listening, the girls preceded to unconvincingly recount a story of how their friend Jeanie had a cousin whose boyfriend's sister knew the Australian guy's brother. I made an exasperated face and went back to my book.
A slight breeze ruffled my long hair as I read and I held my breath in anticipation. I was almost up to the part in the book where Heathcliff would proclaim "I cannot live without my life. I cannot live without my soul!" It's one of my favourites and in my opinion the most romantic line in history. Just as I was about to read those immortal, ageless words I saw a flash of blue hair and cheeky eyes and felt a pair of strong hands snag around my waist and start to tickle my sides.
The book shot up and flew onto the ground beside me.
"Teddy, stop it!" I shrieked, gasping for breath and screaming between giggles. "You… interrupted…Heathcliff!"
"Sorry V, I couldn't help it. You looked too darn comfortable for my liking. Something just had to be done," he said, his silver eyes sparkling.
As his fingers danced all over my skin I couldn't help but feel a sort of intimate closeness between the two of us. And no, it wasn't because of the physical tickling. I could feel his body pinned against mine, his strong Quidditch arms, his turquoise hair lightly brushing the side of my cheek, and the hollow of his neck. His scent was overpowering, like cinnamon with a hint of something exotic I've never been able to quite put my finger on. His broad collarbones jutted out under the fabric of his thoroughly muggle 'I love Rock and Roll' shirt that I had bought him for his previous birthday. It hardly fit him as he'd grown at least half a foot since he got it, but he knew I liked. It was part of our bond that we shared; a Grandad Weasley-like fascination with muggles.
As children we had been as close as brother and sister, and sharing similar interests and we would bicker and argue over silly things. Even as we both went off to Hogwarts and made different friends we would always make special time to see each other. For years our Sunday afternoons were reserved for sitting together under the Birchwood tree by the lake and observing the different people that we saw.
Our friendship never truly stopped, but as we both got older, we drifted at Hogwarts, the two year gap between us becoming more apparent over time. He would tell me off for public displays of affection with my boyfriends in public, or for wearing clothing that was 'revealing', or for sneaking out past curfew to meet said boyfriends for a semi-innocent midnight rendezvous in the Astronomy tower. I on the other hand would tease him for his clumsiness, call him out in front of his Hufflepuff friends, sometimes date said friends even though he had explicitly asked me not to.
The Hogwarts populous could feel it in the air, stepping way aside as we had shouting matches in the courtyard or the corridors. We would curse and throw taunts back and forward until he gave in and stormed off, me yelling 'coward' as I stormed off too. We would sulk for a night or two, a week at the most, and then inexplicably found ourselves sitting awkwardly next to each under the cool shade of our Birchwood. For the most part, the beauty of our relationship was that we never fought for long, and everything would return to normalcy, but lately there was a tension in the air. We were friends, best of friends in fact, but there was no denying that something unknown was looming closer like a dark cloud.
Worried that he might somehow know exactly what I was thinking, I turned my thoughts back to the situation at hand.
"Theodore Lupin let me go this instant or I'll tell Uncle Harry!" I begged, trying my best at an authoritative and serious voice.
Uncle Harry doted on me and he liked to tell people I was his favourite niece (although in company he would always state he loved his nieces and nephews equally). In turn, he was my favourite Uncle and when I wanted something, like a signed book by my favourite author, I could just pout and sigh and the book would be at Shell Cottage within a week.
"Uh Uh Victoire. This is just too much fun," Teddy replied, smirking as his dimples showed. "And anyway, what would Harry do?" he added.
Touché. I'm not surprised he didn't take my threat too seriously because I didn't sound annoyed as I was laughing so much.
"Do you know how adorable you are when you're mad?" he asked me with a face of utter sincerity that mad my stomach flip.
Adorable was not the usual word to describe me. To my close friends I was witty, bookish and confident. To my acquaintances I was 'that Veela bint' who was related to Harry Potter. To my enemies, the Slytherin twin bitches of darkness, I was 'Euro-slut.
But adorable? Never.
As his eyes bore into mine, I sucked in a breath. According to the dictionary, the definition of adorable is;
1. Very attractive or delightful; charming.
or
2. Worthy of being adored.
So according to Teddy Lupin I am both pretty and charming, or worthy of adoration.
Surely he had meant it as a pleasant compliment, but it had made me feel rather uncomfortable. You tell your girlfriend or your little sister/brother that they're adorable. Not your friends, particularly your girl-friends (of which I was his only).
I shook my head, dispelling the absurd thoughts that had begun swimming, or diving to be precise within my head. Still giggling, if not a little awkwardly, I kicked up at him until I hit his shin.
"Ouch, bloody ouch Vic," he whined when I hit my mark. "Did you have to do that?"
He had stopped tickling me yet his arms were still locked around my waist. We stared at each other, his silver eyes into my blue ones. His hair was all ruffled from rolling about on the grass and his eyes were bright from laughing at me. I noticed that his shirt had ridden up a bit. The stare continued for a minute. Or maybe it was a year. His hair had become a kaleidoscope of colours as it did when he was bombarded with emotions.
He reached out to my face and tucked a stray blonde hair that had come loose behind my ear and I felt the famous Weasley blush start to creep up my neck.
"V, I …" he whispered as he moved his face closer to mine. I closed my eyes, not quite sure what would happen and…
"TEDDY, are you going to play with me or not..." yelled James running towards us, clearly oblivious the scene that was transpiring on front of him.
We both froze; my cheeks blazing, Teddy's hair settling for a violent shade of pink.
"So are you going to play Quidditch with me Teddy," James repeated.
My emotions were still swirling and I realised I needed some air. Ironic given that we're outside, but Teddy's closeness was becoming suffocating. I detangled myself from underneath him, and brushed the freshly cut grass out of my hair and off my clothes.
"I'll talk to you later Ted, I just remembered I have to do something" I said as I stood up, ignoring his helpful hand.
Torn, Teddy looked away from and started to step out to me, saying "Wait…" but I had already started towards the house, with no intention, but an alarming urge of looking back.
Thanks for reading guys! I really appreciate it.
Hopefully Chapter 2 will be uploaded soon.
In the wise words of the beautiful Harries twins; "Stay Cheeky!"
