Victoire Weasley hated New Year's. So that was why she sat resignedly on the arm of Grandad Weasley's chair and glowered. All around her, she saw her little cousins running around with whistles and bells; Lucy and Molly were arguing over who got the prettier bell, Her brother Louis, Fred and James were carrying an armful of things that suspiciously looked like boxes of Weasley Wizarding Wheezes products. Her favorite cousins, Albus and Rose sat on the floor quietly; well Albus sat normally and Rose was usually the louder one, but compared to the ruckus of tonight, she was soft-spoken. And then the youngest of the Weasley cousins, Lily and Hugo were already passed out on the couch, Lily's thumb making it's way to her mouth even though she was eight.

Normally, all the adults would be shouting to have themselves heard over the noise, a "Fred, stop spilling the confetti, it's not time yet!" from Aunt Angelina, or maybe Grandma Weasley shouting the loudest, "QUIET! Can't you see Lily and Hugo are asleep!" But they were as bad as the children.

Uncle Ron, Uncle George, Uncle Harry were crowded around the wireless swapping firewhiskey and one bad joke for another. Victoire cringed as she caught sight of her own quarter-veela mother, so obviously drunk, or why else would she be doing that fairly accurate Celestina Warbeck impression?

Victoire sighed again, this time heavier. It wasn't fair of her to be blaming her family for the awful time she was having because the Weasley family was always like this. A few days ago, they had all been together for Christmas dinner and Victoire had enjoyed herself throughly with her sister and younger cousins. Dominique, Roxanne, Rose, dragging a willing Albus hoping to escape James's torment, and Lily simply loved Vicky and cherished the time she would spend with them while home from Hogwarts. It had always been this way since Dominique was born and she was old enough to toddle after her and Teddy.

Victoire groaned and dug her fingers into her long, strawberry colored hair as if she had a headache. Teddy didn't play with them anymore, he was too busy playing Quidditch with all his other, boy friends.

Once, Victoire loved New Year's Eve, the one night her parents relented and let her stay up past bed-time with Teddy, who being older had a later bed-time. Those first few years, she never made it to ten o'clock and would wake up in her own bedroom instead of the couch where she'd lie her head down for a minute.

Victoire was seven the first time she made it to midnight and she and Teddy had blown as hard as they could on their funny muggle toys that stuck their tongues out Aunt Audrey had brought to her first Weasley party.

There were other first too. She was twelve the first time her Maman had convinced Papa to let her have a sip of champagne with all the adults. She learned how to put makeup a year later, when she confessed to her mother an hour before they left she wanted to look pretty too when Fleur Delacour came down the stairs looking like a model in Victoire's Teen Witch. Papa had told her she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen, except for her mother and Dominique had told her older sister she was beautiful. Victoire had flushed; she had heard pretty, darkling, adorable, but it was the first time she had been called beautifulbefore.

But Victoire always had trouble adjusting to change. It often took a week before she'd remember to change the year in her dates, or that it was a new month. When Dominique was born, Victoire decided to run away Uncle Harry's and Aunt Ginny's, so she could be an only child again. When her parents found her with them an hour later, they agreed she could stay and be an only child but Victoire went back home four days later.

And this New Year's was just a reminder how horrible change was! It was Victoire's O.W.L.s year, and she was so nervous already—and Victoire didn't know what she'd do! Should she continue on with Care of Magical Creatures? What if she didn't get the grades she needed for the career she wanted someday? June loomed closer and closer and she was getting more and scared. But it wasn't just her school shedule that unnerved her, but her own biological one. Where did these breasts come from? She didn't have them last year, they just all of a sudden started to grow there and she was now taller than all of the girls but the same height as the boys which should have been ok, except it wasn't because all they'd do is stare at her face now, which was an improvement over them staring at her like they stared at Lauren Miller's chest. But still, Everything was changing!

Even Teddy, her best friend for life since the day she was born, didn't want to be with her anymore. He didn't turn his face colors to make her laugh anymore, being too busy as he dated other girls sometimes, and went to the Three Broomsticks with his mates from the Quidditch team and now Victoire couldn't get up the nerve to go and talk to him herself because she'd get an awful swooping sensation in her stomach when she looked at him.

Like right now. Teddy Remus Lupin was walking towards her, winding around Dominique and Roxanne on the floor playing Exploding Snap, his hair was midnight blue in honor of New Year's and his eyes were silver. Teddy sat down in the vacant seat of the chair as Victoire just sat there still and awkwardly. Her heart beat as the butterflies inside thumped against her stomach.

"Hi Vic," Teddy Lupin said. "How have you been doing?"

"Oh, just fine," she said as lightly as she could, trying not to betray how edgy she was. Teddy nodded and drained his bottle of firewhiskey clutched in his hand tightly.

Teddy was a man now, Victoire realized. And of course, he was seventeen, she had been at his birthday party and he was in his last year of Hogwarts and so was totally capable of drinking firewhiskey now. Victoire silently cursed. Another change! She bet Teddy didn't realize how changed they were, he probably still thought of her as little girl, still drinking butterbeer.

Teddy Lupin the man swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing. His hair and eyes were unconsiously changing colors, Victoire noticed absently, to yellow, the color of questioning. Unless that had changed too, from when he told her at ages eight and six what all his colors meant.

"So, ahh, have you decided on what you might want to do someday?" Teddy asked. Victoire was surprised that he was paying more attention to her in the past minute than he had all last year, but she shook her head.

"What about Healing?" Teddy suggested. "You're good with people, especially kids, and you're pretty good at Herbology, Charms—"

"I'm not any good in Transfiguration or Potions." She pointed out. Inwardly though, she felt her heart collaspe as she dully rejected another career.

"I could tutor you," Teddy said. "If you want, that is," he added off-handedly.

"Thank you," Victoire replied. What a wonderful idea! Teddy was always good at coming up with ideas for her. Teddy nodded, and his gaze fell away from her. Victoire, felt her heart stop beating and the butterfly drooped as she leaned back against the chair. So he really didn't want to talk to her, he was just bored with all the little kids.

"Why do you keep your hair long?" Teddy suddenly asked, Victoire rocked forward.

"What?" she responded stupidly. Teddy glanced back at her and then pointed to Dominique, her hair silver blonde, but just as long as Victoire, flowing half down her back.

"I..I just do." Victoire said simply, mystified why Teddy would inquire about her hair of all things. Teddy never talked about how Victoire looked, when it came to appearences, it was always What Way Should Teddy Look Now?

"It looks good on Dominique because she has a different face shape," Teddy explained. "But on you, long hair doesn't help, you face is so long and thin," he finished, cupping her chin. Victoire stared at him as he studied her face. She hadn't been this close to Teddy since they were little.

"So you don't think I'm pretty?" Victoire whispered. She couldn't think of anything else to say and she was mortified that she had, but she longed to know. Teddy froze, his hair rapidly changing colors, now to a bright shade of bubblegum pink. His hair always turned that color when he was embarassed and tripped over his feet or something.

A shout went out. "Ten!"

More voices joined in. "Nine!"

"Eight!"

Teddy struggled to regain himself as they both ignored the rest of their families shouting. "Vic," he started. She pushed his hands away.

"Just forget it," Victoire said desperately, starting to get up off the armchair.

"Five!"

"You're beautiful, Victoire," Teddy said quietly. She froze half-off as Teddy raised his hands to her face again. They were so close she could see his eye color clearly, even in the dark like this. They were a pure shade of clear gold.

"ONE!" The Weasleys roared and then he kissed her.

Victoire had a new favorite color. It was Turquoise, which was Teddy's favorite shade of hair and Gold, the same combination his hair and eyes had been when they broke apart from that kiss. There was a bright, shiny new year of 2016 waiting for her with a new future in Healing with Teddy Lupin by her side to train her nightly in transfiguration and potions if needed to be. And she was going to definitely get a shorter cut, maybe a retro 1920's esque bob, or perhaps something short and wavy. But most importantly, Victoire had a new boyfriend who happened to be her old friend who changed enough for her to possibly even love him.

Victoire loved New Year's.