Title: Bedtime Stories
Pairing: Roxanne Weasley/Teddy Lupin
Rating: K
Period: Next-Gen
Summary: Roxy wants a bedtime story, and Teddy knows just which one to read. Written for the Next Generation Romance Challenge on HPFC.
A/N: This is unbetaed. I shall have to live with all of the mistakes. :)
A/N 6/12/12: Edited for spelling, grammar and formatting.
"I want a story!"
Roxanne Weasley isn't known for her ability to be subtle. With age it's a skill that she'll eventually learn. At age nine, she's a little rusty.
"You can read one," her mother tries to compromise with her quietly while the entire Weasley family sits in the living room.
Roxanne pouts her lips and looks as though in any minute her dark face may turn completely red.
"I'll read her one," Teddy volunteers.
Victorie shoots him a look.
"It's almost midnight," Victorie whines.
"It won't take long. Pick a book kid. I'll be up in a minute."
When he gets up there, the book she's holding is about the size of an encyclopedia. He figures he only has to read until she falls asleep. By the time she falls asleep his voice is hoarse, the weight of her head has made his arm fall asleep and it's one in the morning.
"Happy New Year, kid."
He kisses her forehead before sneaking out of her room.
The night before Teddy leaves for Auror training there's a big party. It lasts well into the morning and by the time it's over his grandmother's house looks like it's been destroyed. Teddy is cleaning it up in grand heaps with help from George.
Roxy sits in the corner, patiently waiting. In her lap a book is open and between yawns she reads.
"What's that?" Teddy asks.
"The Wizard of Oz. I-"
She blushes and then admits in a soft voice.
"I kinda borrowed it from your room."
He smiles.
"It's alright. It's my favorite."
When she tris to put the book back later that night he stops her.
"Take it with you. I think you'll like it."
The next time Roxy sees Teddy it's a year later. He's in Saint Mungo's. Victorie is crying hysterically outside the door and Roxy feels useless among the crowd of adults.
Later that week Roxy begs her mother to let her return to the hospital. She brings the book and starts to read.
"Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry…"
Teddy wakes up from his coma the next day.
When Roxy graduates he buys her a copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. The pictures were all enchanted to move and if she closes her eyes she can see the perfect yellow brick road laid out in front of her.
It's raining, which explains why he's soaking wet. It's soaking into her pajamas, the sheets on the bed and there's no hope for his clothes, because they're already drenched. It doesn't bother her. Instead she pulls a book off the wall and lies back down next to him.
She asks no questions. When he changes into dry clothes Victorie's engagement ring falls out of his pocket. Roxy feels a deep sadness rising in her.
Her engagement ring falls out of a first edition copy of The Wizard of Oz that he bought for her birthday. None of the pictures move, but she can still see the yellow brick road when she closes her eyes.