It was weird being at the Ministry again after so long. Victoire blended in seamlessly with the workers surging in and out of the lift around her. It was lunchtime so everyone was trying to catch the lifts and escape from their workday for an hour.
"Hey Judge, wait up!"
A robust, older man with thinning brown hair and a pocket watch hanging from his pocket hustled to make it onto the lift and sidled up right beside Victoire. She knew this man, had been prepped in how to handle him. The only problem was, she didn't know if he was talking to her or not.
She caught her reflection in the mirrored door and the young woman whose hair she'd added to her Polyjuice potion blinked back at her. Was her name Judge?
"Erm, hello?"
The man just sneered at her. Ok, so she wasn't Judge.
"You're George! Hilary George!" said a voice in Victoire's ear.
"Afternoon, Goyle," Judge, who was apparently a good looking young man with a beard, said with a slight nod.
"I just came from Lestrange- he wants those reports on Order activity today."
Victoire tensed at the mention of the Order.
"Relax," Teddy said soothingly in her ear, "you're fine. Just breathe."
Victoire hated that he could see her vitals all the way back at headquarters. Her heart was beating in her ears and she felt like she might puke, but Teddy didn't need to know that.
"Er, I'm not quite finished with them yet," Judge said, his cool exterior cracking just a bit.
Goyle scowled. "Do I look like I care? Just get them to him."
Cowed, Judge got off the lift and Victoire shifted her weight nervously.
She's heard the name Goyle plenty, even seen his picture a few times. He'd been at school with Uncle Harry and Uncle Ron, one of the ones who tortured Aunt Ginny during that last year things were ok. Usually when she saw or heard about him she just wanted to curse him or punch him in the face, but there was something about being just inches from him that made her stomach squirm.
Victoire clutched at her bag a little tighter as Goyle sneered at her again.
When the lift doors opened again Victoire hurried off and did her best to disappear into the crowd streaming through the atrium.
"Alright, now get to the fireplace," Teddy said.
Victoire walked casually towards the fireplaces that would get her out. She was almost there when she heard the ruckus behind her.
"What do you mean the files are gone?"
Victoire's heart jumped into her throat and she had to stop herself from running for the exit. She turned around with the rest of the crowd and saw Antonin Dolohov towering over a middle-aged woman in tears.
She heard Teddy swear in her ear and wished she hadn't turned around. Dolohov was one of the Order's most wanted Death Eaters. He escaped the Battle of Hogwarts with the rest of the Death Eaters after Voldemort was killed and only surfaced again after Kingsley Shacklebolt was assassinated. He was responsible for so many deaths. Including Remus Lupin's.
Victoire had never encountered him in person before. He was no longer the middle-aged man in his Azkaban photo. He had long, white hair now and a handlebar mustache of the same color.
"Get out of there now."
The voice in her ear was no longer Teddy's. It was her cousin Molly's voice that urged her on. Victoire took a deep breath and turned back toward the exit.
She was halfway to the fireplaces when Dolohov yelled, "Seal the building!"
People started running as hit wizards appeared in the crowd and grates started slamming shut.
"Vic you need to get out of there. Your Polyjuice is almost up."
"I'm gonna need another way out, Moll," Victoire said through gritted teeth.
"I'm looking now."
There was silence on the com as Victoire allowed herself to be herded with the rest of the crowd. All she could do now was blend in until Molly found her an exit.
"Search everyone," Dolohov cried, pulling out his wand. Victoire looked away just in time to miss the killing curse he aimed at the kneeling woman.
Now people were screaming and hit wizards were manhandling everyone into lines.
"Alright, Vic. I'm sending you an exit. You need to get to the security office, you're portkey will be there in two minutes."
Victoire tried to move over to the security office as discreetly as she could, but with the hit wizards every five feet, it was harder than it should've been. Hopefully it would be James or Dom showing up with the portkey; they were the best fighters and she had a feeling there would be some action before she got out of there.
She was almost to the security check when someone grabbed her arm.
"Where d'you think you're goin, Missy?"
Victoire steeled herself before she turned around and started breathing heavily.
"I'm sorry. I'm- having a- a hard time breathing."
The hit wizard narrowed his eyes and tightened his grip. He walked her over to the edge of the room- right by the security check, thank Merlin- and pushed her up against the wall.
"No funny business," he said roughly. He still had a tight hold on her arm and Victoire could practically feel it bruising, but she was here and now all she had to do was drag it out until her ride got here.
"I need- I can't- please," she gasped out. The hit wizard rolled his eyes, but loosened his grip just a little.
Her mother was right, she was an excellent actress.
"What's going on over here?"
Victoire's stomach lurched. Dolohov was coming over. This hit wizard she could handle but Dolohov?
"I'm sorry- I'm not- not good with crowds."
"I got 'er, Sir," the hit wizard said thickly.
"Have you searched her yet?" Dolohov asked tightly.
The man just stared blankly. Obviously you didn't need much brains to be a hit wizard.
Victoire's stomach lurched again, only this time it had nothing to do with adrenaline. She looked down at her hands as they went from big and stubby to small and slender. The hit wizard let go and goggled at her and Dolohov's eyes widened as her hair grew out and turned its usual golden blonde.
It was lucky, then, that there was a flash behind them and a thud as her ride arrived.
"I'd step away from her if I were you."
Victoire was almost as shocked as Dolohov and the hit wizard. She turned around and there was Teddy, a dirty shoe in one hand and his wand in the other.
"Guards!" Dolohov called. Victoire had her wand out in seconds and she and Teddy moved back to back.
"We've got forty seconds until it recharges," Teddy said as he Stupefied a security guard.
"Well well well, if it isn't the werewolf boy," Dolohov cried gleefully. "It will be my pleasure to reunite you with your dear father."
That was all it took for Teddy to launch into a duel. He shoved the shoe into Victoire's hand and aimed what looked suspiciously like the Cruciatus curse at Dolohov.
The shoe started to glow and Victoire gasped.
"Teddy!" she cried as he blocked a nasty purple streak. He looked back and just as Victoire reached his side, Dolohov sent another. This time, it hit Teddy in the shoulder and he cried out as he fell to his knees.
"Teddy, the portkey," Victoire said urgently.
He was barely able to hum dazedly before he slumped forward toward Victoire and dropped his wand. She grunted as she caught him and threw up a weak shield charm. She was barely able to grab Teddy's wand and secure her bag when she felt the hook behind her navel.
She held tightly to Teddy as the world spun and disappeared around her. They landed with a muffled thump and immediately they were surrounded by members of the Order of the Phoenix.
"What happened?"
"What's wrong with Lupin?"
"Oh god, what did they do to Teddy?"
Vic scrabbled to her knees and crawled over to where Teddy was sprawled on the floor.
"Oh god, oh god. It was Dolohov. He used the purple flames."
Victoire looked up just in time to see Uncle Percy and Hannah Longbottom hurrying over. Someone tried to pull Victoire away, but she wasn't leaving Teddy, not when it was her fault he was hurt.
"I should've moved faster. I should've been out sooner. It's my fault."
"Vicky, sweetie, it's not your fault," Aunt Angelina was saying softly. But Victoire didn't pay her any attention. It was her fault, she knew it.
Someone laid a hand on her shoulder and squeezed. "Come on Vic, let them work on him."
It was Dominique. Victoire looked up through her tears at her little sister and was surprised to see the tenderness in her eyes. Dom wasn't usually one to show any emotion- it was one of the things that made her one of the best fighters in the Order.
"Come on," she said again, this time a little more forceful.
"Wait. Did you get the files?"
It was only now, with Uncle Charlie looking at her expectantly that she remembered the bag slung over her shoulder. Wordlessly she handed it over and watched as Uncle Charlie opened it up to check out the contents.
"Nice work, Vic. You did good."
Victoire let herself be led away while Teddy was lifted onto the med table and examined. She barely made it into the next room before Lily bowled into her.
"Thank Merlin you're ok," she mumbled into Victoire's robes.
Victoire patted her cousin's head for a moment before Lily pulled away.
"Where's Teddy? James said he was with you."
Victoire felt her stomach sink again. She looked at Dominique and swallowed thickly.
"He's, er, Hannah's working on him right now."
All the color drained out of Lily's face.
"He got hit by a pretty nasty curse just as we were leaving."
She barely got the words out before Lily bolted into the other room.
"Come on. Let's get you out of these robes."
Dominique led Victoire up the stairs of the Burrow and into the room they shared with Molly. Her tears had stopped and now she just felt nauseous as Dominique rifled through the bureau for some clothes.
"Thanks," Vic said numbly as her sister handed her some clothes.
Dominique sat down on the bed beside her and put her arm around Victoire's shoulders.
"He'll be fine. He's Teddy, a stupid old curse couldn't hurt him. Not after all that shit he pulled at Hogwarts."
Victoire smiled weakly because it was true- Teddy had had so many broken bones and internal injuries from all the stupid stunts he got up to at school that dying from a simple curse just seemed boring.
It was hours before anyone came up to get them, and then it was only Rose letting them know supper was ready.
"Hannah's the best, Teddy'll be alright. I called Scorpius too and he's doing what he can," she said as they made their way downstairs. "He's top of his class at St. Mungo's."
"That's dangerous, Rose. He shouldn't be coming here. Who knows who's watching him!" Dominique said harshly.
"Don't, Dom. I'm sure Scorpius was careful- he's not an idiot."
Dominique scowled at her sister but Victoire just shook her head.
The kitchen was full of people but somehow it was emptier than usual. Out of habit Victoire looked for Teddy's neon hair before she could remind herself that he wouldn't be there.
Uncle Charlie and Seamus Finnigan were poring over the files Victoire had stolen at one end of the table with James and Fred looking over their shoulders. It was obvious they were trying to be sneaky but no one was really buying it.
Molly and Lucy were arguing about something as usual and Al was bent over his sketchbook like always. Aunt Angelina was setting the table while Uncle Percy followed behind her ladling out stew.
"Hey Vic, great job today," Seamus said when he looked up from the files. Uncle Charlie grimaced and Dominique rolled her eyes.
"He'll be fine, Vic. Stop worrying."
When Victoire lay down to sleep that night, Teddy hadn't improved.
"We've done everything we can short of taking him to St. Mungo's. I'm trying to get ahold of a colleague of mine, see if he can come take a look. But for now, he seems stable."
Stable and unconscious.
She tried not to think about it, tried to think about anything else, but the image of Teddy falling to his knees seemed to be seared to the back of her eyelids. Dolohov's words rang in her ears all night long.
It will be my pleasure to reunite you with your dear father.
The first thing he noticed was the quiet. It was jarring, loud somehow. Also his mouth felt like sandpaper. Merlin, where had all his saliva gone?
Has it always hurt so much to open my eyes, he wondered as he struggled to pull his eyelids apart; it felt as though someone had put an extra strong sticking charm on them.
After a few tries he gave up and contented himself with laying there quietly, listening to the silence. Then the pain set in.
It was like his insides were on fire, heat radiating from his shoulder out. And then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped.
"Teddy?"
He knew that voice. He'd have known that voice anywhere. So why couldn't he place it?
"Teddy darling, we don't have much time."
And another voice he ought to have recognized, as if out of a memory or a dream.
He finally pulled his eyes open and almost immediately felt the air knocked out of his chest.
He was in an unfamiliar, white room, empty but for the bench a few feet in front of him, and alone but for the young couple sitting there. The man was wearing a wooly sweater and his brown hair was flecked with gray, but he looked otherwise happy. The woman had round, shining eyes and a button nose. Her hair was bright pink.
They both smiled at him.
"I don't understand."
"Come, darling. Sit."
His mother patted the space between her and his father and Teddy hurried to fill it.
"My brave boy," she said, taking his face in her hands. He never wanted her to let go.
"Is this real?" he asked, turning to his father.
"I should think so, yes," his father said carefully.
"You've got a choice to make," his mum said calmly.
Suddenly he knew what the choice was. The memory of the Ministry and Victoire came flooding back to him and he knew he had to decide.
"But what if I don't want to make it?" he asked, not caring how much like a petulant child he sounded.
Remus chuckled. "There are a lot of choices in our lives that we have to make no matter how much we don't want to."
"Is this it?"
"No, I should hope not. How boring would that be?" his mum said, sounding almost scandalized.
"I could stay with you guys. See Harry again, and Gran."
"You could," Remus said stoically.
"I've got to go back though don't I?"
His parents exchanged a look over his head and his heart hurt suddenly. How many times might they have done that exact thing if they hadn't died that night when he was just a baby?
"That's up to you, sweetheart. We can't make the choice for you."
His parents. He stood up so he could get a look at them. His mum couldn't have been any older than he was, young and vibrant, that bright smile he knew so well from photos and other people's memories. And his dad, so happy and healthy; much healthier than in any picture Teddy'd ever seen.
The image of Victoire's face popped into his face then, unbidden. She was smiling, laughing at something. Next came the Potter kids, James and his cunning smile, Al and his contemplative gaze as he sketched, Lily and her wild hair and crooked teeth; they were just becoming people. And he needed to be there for that.
"I love you guys," he said, his throat scratchy and his eyes watery.
His dad smiled. "We love you too, Ted."
"Very much," his mum added.
They stood and he wrapped them both in a hug, something he'd never been able to do. Suddenly, the hug was constricting, too tight. It was squeezing his ribs and he couldn't breathe.
Teddy opened his eyes with a gasp and the pain became one hundred times worse. Ashen faces hovered over him and their anxious expressions were the only thing that kept him from yelling in pain.
"Teddy!"
"Potter, get me Longbottom and Malfoy. Everyone else, out!"
He watched as James rushed from the room and everyone else was shooed out. A weathered but kind face appeared above him murmuring soothing words and everything went dark.
When he woke up again, the room was silent. Teddy almost thought he was back with his parents again, but the ceiling fan spinning lazily above him assured him he wasn't. Also, the whispering.
He tried to turn his head but it hurt too much. Everything hurt. He felt like he'd been run over by a stampede of hippogriffs. Wait, did hippogriffs stampede? Whatever. Everything ached and the pain was still radiating from his shoulder, though now it was more of a throbbing pain than the stabbing one he'd felt the last time he'd been awake.
His throat was scratchy and suddenly all he wanted was a drink of water. When he opened his mouth to say so, though, all that came out was a hoarse grunt.
The whispering stopped suddenly and he could feel the presence of whoever it was talking at his side. He turned his head just a fraction of an inch and his heart felt like it might burst. But like, in a good way.
Albus was standing next to his head, eyes wide and mouth open and beside him was Victoire, looking like she might cry.
"How do you feel?" she asked thickly.
He swallowed- ouch!- and tried to speak again.
"Thirsty."
The word came out sounding like a hoarse whisper but Victoire pulled her wand from her locker and conjured him a glass..
"Al, help him sit up."
Al did as he was told, but it was like he was afraid he'd break Teddy if he touched him.
He mustered up the biggest grin he could (not that big) and ground out a raspy "thanks," as Al fixed the pillows.
"Hey Al, why don't you go let Hannah and Madame Pomfrey know Teddy's up."
Al nodded and disappeared in a flash. And then came back in to wrap Teddy in a hug.
It hurt like hell and Teddy was a teeny bit embarrassed by the yelp he let out at the pain in his ribs, but it warmed him all over too.
The hug didn't last long and Al didn't say anything before he disappeared, but it made Teddy smile.
"Teddy."
Vic was looking at him strangely, her eyebrows furrowed and her lip caught between her teeth. She looked conflicted, both worried and relieved at once. And possibly a little pissed.
"You complete idiot! What were you thinking?"
Ok, so she was a lot pissed.
"'M sorry, Vic. But look I'm fine now."
He tried for his winningest smile but Victoire's frustration seemed to melt into actual anger.
"I thought you were going to die! I thought you were going to die before I could-"
Hannah came in then and Victoire left in a huff, but Teddy became too distracted by pain to think about Victoire's reaction.
His room was filled with his family- what was left of them anyway- going in and out all afternoon. Lily had to refrain herself from jumping on him in relief and excitement and Uncle Percy actually started to cry before making a hasty exit. Victoire was mysteriously absent, though.
Teddy was happy for the company- it helped distract him from the constant, radiating pain. Hannah told him it would take a long time to heal, but she was optimistic. Teddy hoped his recovery wouldn't take too long so he could get back out there. He wasn't going to let Dolohov disappear again.
Victoire didn't show up again until late the next night. She was wearing the same clothes as the last time he'd seen her and her hair was piled on top of her head messily. Of course she still looked amazing- she always looked amazing to Teddy.
"Where were you today? I had to listen to Molly nagging me about safety protocols all afternoon and Rose actually yelled at me this morning."
Victoire just stared at her feet.
"How are you feeling?" she asked finally.
"Much better. Hannah's got me taking this excellent potion, takes the pain right away."
Victoire nodded and bit her lip. After a moment of apparent deliberation she covered the distance between the door and Teddy's bed in two long steps and slapped him.
He was so stunned that he couldn't even respond right away.
"What the bloody hell was that for?" he asked finally, rubbing his cheek.
She didn't answer, just fiddled with her hands in her lap and refused to look at him.
"Come on, Vic. I'm alright. Really. Hannah says I'll be back in the field in no time."
This caught her attention. Victoire whipped her head around so fast that some of her hair fell out of its bun.
"You can't be serious!"
"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked perplexedly.
"You almost died!"
Teddy scoffed and waved a hand dismissively. "It was nothing, I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You almost died! And I heard Hannah yesterday- she said you could have permanent damage to your arm! That's not nothing, Ted."
"Vic, you're a part of the Order too. You know this is part of the job."
Victoire let out a frustrated little huff and stood, crossing the room and back with her arms crossed and a scowl on her face.
"You don't get it. I can't lose you. Not you too. You mean too much to me. I-"
She stopped before she finished and bit her lip.
Teddy swallowed. "You what, Vic?" he asked thickly. His heart beat fast and blood pounded in his ears.
Instead of answering, she sat down on the edge of his bed and pursed her lips the way she did when she was thinking about doing something stupid. And then all of a sudden, she was kissing him. It took him a moment to react because he was so caught off guard but when he got over his shock, he threaded his hands through her hair and kissed her back with as much fervor as he could muster.
Her lips were a little chapped but still soft somehow and so full. Kissing her was even better than he'd imagined it would be. She was very good at it.
"Wow, maybe I should get cursed more often," Teddy joked once they'd separated. Victoire scowled at him.
"Kidding, kidding."
"It's not funny though," she said quietly. She looked so sad that Teddy couldn't help but take her hand before she continued.
"Seeing you lying there for days, not knowing whether you'd be alright or not- there wasn't anything funny about that."
"I'm sorry. I won't joke about it."
She frowned but didn't say anything. Instead, she sat back down beside him and buried her face in his side. It hurt like hell, but the pain was nothing compared to the way his heart soared.
Victoire hurried down the alley, her coat wrapped tightly around her and her boots splashing in puddles. She gripped the bag containing the transcript of the most recent meeting of the Death Eaters tighter as she hit the main drag and slipped into the crowd of people.
"Where are you?" she asked through gritted teeth, trying to seem like she wasn't talking to no one.
"Around the corner. Be there in two."
Two black-hooded figures appeared at the end of the road and she swallowed.
"Make it one."
She packed herself into the crowd but she could tell she'd been spotted.
"New plan. I'm coming to you. Don't move."
"Yes ma'am."
Victoire scowled because this was so not the time. She ducked into the alley and pulled her wand out from the pocket inside her jacket.
The figures appeared at the end of the alley and she grinned at them.
"See ya later, boys."
Teddy was waiting with his flying motorbike right where she'd left him and he smirked at her as she approached.
"Ma'am?" she asked shoving the bag into his stomach. He let out a small 'oomph' and shook his head.
"What you don't like it?"
"Don't ever call me ma'am again. Molly probably heard you on these things!"
"I still can actually," Molly's voice said forlornly in her ear.
"You liked it when I called you ma'am last ni-"
"Bloody hell, shut up!"
She poked his right shoulder and he winced. It didn't hurt him all the time, not anymore. It had taken awhile for Teddy to be able to do anything but sit in bed all day but Hannah had nursed him back to health. He still had occasional pain when the weather was bad or he moved the wrong way. Or when someone poked him in the shoulder.
"Come on. Let's get back to headquarters. I've got a hot date tonight."
Victoire raised one perfectly manicured eyebrow. "Oh really? You sure she'll show up?"
Teddy scoffed as he mounted his bike and revved the engine. "Are you kidding? In case you haven't noticed, I'm kind of irresistible."
Victoire climbed on and wrapped her arms around his waist.
"Keep telling yourself that, buddy."
"Seriously, I'm a catch. I've got a badass bike, awesome hair, and a winning personality."
"Also you're a wanted criminal."
"Yeah I guess there's that too. At least I'm not the only one"
"We can totally share a cell."
He grinned at her over his shoulder, gunned the gas, and they were off.
"I've got Death Eater activity in Hyde Park," Molly's voice said in their ears over the gusting wind.
"Up for a duel?" Teddy asked with a grin.
Victoire wrapped her arms around him more tightly, urging him to go faster.
"You know it."