May: Victoire Weasley

Team: Cannons

Chaser 3

My Optional prompts: (dialogue) "Three, two, one. Ready or not, here I come!" (colour) cream and (dialogue) "If I hear anyone say 'Happy Birthday,' one more time..."

Word Count: 1,035

Victoire Weasley's Thirteenth Birthday Party

Victoire was hiding in her room. Well, not hiding, per say. She could see the party happening in her backyard, hear the talking and laughter as it drifted through her open window. It had been hours since the party had started. Hugs had been given, baby pictures had been pulled out, lunch had been eaten. There was still cake to be had, presents to open, but for now the younger kids were playing games and the adults were talking and drinking as they watch them with an indulgent eye.

The birthday girl had decided she needed a bit of a break so she had escaped to her room, and sat in her little reading nook. It wasn't actually her birthday. That was during the school year. It had become tradition to celebrate when the school year had ended, so the whole family had another excuse to get together.

"Can I come in?"

Victoire looked up quickly. Teddy Lupin was leaning against the door frame, his usual mischievous sparkle in his brown eyes and his hair a soft mint green, Victoire's favorite color.

"Of course," she said, swinging her legs down to the floor so he had room to sit down next to her.

Victoire smoothed out her cream lace dress then swept one of her blonde curls behind her newly pierced ears. She felt a little self-conscious with the little makeup her mom had put on her even though she had been begging for years to be allowed to wear some. It was only a little mascara, blush and lipstick, but she felt very aware of her face in a way she wasn't normally. The earrings were her birthday present from her parents. She kept wanting to play with them, but her mom warned her that it might give her an infection. Earrings were also something she had wanted for years. Apparently turning thirteen meant she was ready for the things her dad had said were too grown up for her before.

"What's the birthday girl doing hiding up in her room?" As Teddy sat down his cologne wafted toward her, a mix of apple and spice.

Victoire rolled her eyes. "If I hear anyone say 'Happy Birthday,' one more time..."

"You'll nod and smile and say thank you," Teddy teased, a smirk crossing his lips.

She huffed and leaned back against the wall so she was more comfortable. "The Weasley family is much too big. And it's not even my real birthday! Every single person sent me a card in May. Then, everyone mentioned it when we got off the train, and now everyone has to say it again today. Like, I get it already."

"And they still haven't sang the song," he said.

Victoire groaned. Teddy laughed and nudged her shoulder with his.

"You've never complained about this any other year. You ate up all the attention."

She felt her cheeks warm up and looked away so he wouldn't notice.

"What's different this year?" he asked.

She shrugged.

"I don't know," she said. She looked up and immediately regretted it. Teddy was looking at her with his patented puppy dog look. Victoire had overheard her Uncle Harry and Aunt Hermione once say he inherited it from his father.

"It's just-"

"Three, two, one. Ready or not, here I come!" James's voice floated through the open window, loud enough it was as if he was in the room with them.

They looked down into the backyard. Victoire's cousins were playing hide and seek. She could see James's messy black hair swaying in the wind as he raced over to the rocks where Lily's, his little sister, bright red hair could be clearly seen.

"That's my problem," Victoire said, wistfully.

"You don't like James's loud mouth?" Teddy asked, turning back to her. She kept her eyes on the window. James and Lily were now looking together, checking the rose bushes that lined the house. "I don't either. Makes me glad we're in different houses at Hogwarts, and on breaks it's only the meal or two a month that we are even in England."

Teddy lived with his grandmother since both of his parents died in the war that had happened before Victoire was born. So had his grandfather. To escape the memories (that's what Aunt Hermione had said once) they traveled often. Victoire and Teddy had only really gotten to know each other at Hogwarts, and even then, they weren't the best of friends. Though, Victoire would never admit it out loud, she would love to be closer.

"No. I mean," she sighed. "It's stupid. You'll laugh."

Teddy placed a warm hand on her shoulder. Her eyes widened and she had to look down so he wouldn't see how her face warmed up at such a simple little action.

"I won't laugh. I promise," he said.

"I love celebrating my birthday, but everyone has been treating this one different." She found herself opening up without a second thought. "It's all 'Oh, lucky thirteen. You're gonna start breaking hearts now.' And 'You're so grown up. Basically an adult.' Even my parent's presents. I was never allowed earrings before or to wear the tiniest bit of makeup before today. I mean I turned thirteen not seventeen. I'm not ready to be an adult yet," she complained.

"I know how you feel," Teddy said. "It gets worse when you turn fourteen."

"Oh that makes me feel better."

He laughed. "But Victoire, that doesn't mean you have to be an adult now. No one is going to judge you for playing hide and seek with your cousins."

"How do you know?"

"I mean, it's not like I heard Ron ask where you were and why weren't you playing with the others before coming up here or anything."

"Oh."

Teddy stood up and held up his hand. Victoire looked at it as if it was a foreign object.

"Come on, let's go. I'm going to play, and if anything, they'll be so scandalized at that old fourteen-year-old playing hide and seek they won't pay any attention to you."

Victoire smiled and grabbed his hand, allowing herself to be pulled up onto her feet.

"Lead the way," she said.

"My pleasure."