(AN: just something I'd had sitting around on my computer for a bit. Started when I began Seperate, Apart, Alone, Together, actually, just to pump something out. This'll probably be a three shot, there's a vague plan in my head already. Please enjoy. And please, review, if you can, please.)
Chapter One
The sound of his keys falling onto the rickety table was dulled by the constant thudding of the rain outside. His bag of groceries was soaked, the bread most likely ruined. Brown hair was plastered to his forehead, blocking most of his vision, and his clothes stuck and hung from him; he tripped over the pile of old textbooks supporting the short leg of the table as he took a step forward. He let out a strained laugh when he noticed his black umbrella leaning innocently against the table.
He hit himself in the forehead when he realized that he could have just Apparated from the store instead of walking.
Teddy shuffled, shoes squeaking, through his small flat wondering how he never had found it claustrophobic before. The living area was cramped with those two old sofas and coffee table, and he could cross the width of his kitchen with one long step.
And, he noted dully, putting the soggy brown bag down, there just wasn't enough counter space.
With a sigh, Teddy leaned over and rested his head in his hands, elbows on the edge of the sink. Water dripped from his hair, down his arms, and into the dirty dishes.
He was pathetic, he thought. He was a pathetic excuse of a wizard, he had pathetic hopes and dreams, and it was pathetic the way Victoire could affect his mood.
And today was Victoire's 17th birthday. And they had no plans together whatsoever.
Teddy's attendance at every single one of Victoire's birthdays was spotless. He'd even been in the waiting room when she was born, albeit he was two and couldn't remember a single second of it. He'd been her friend for her whole life, known her since forever. He was nearly family.
The fact was that today Victoire turned seventeen, and she'd written that she was too busy to spend even part of the day with him. Even after seventeen years of friendship.
Oh- with a "Sorry! Love, Victoire" tagged at the end of the two sentenced reply written in her curvy script.
He shook his head.
Pathetic, he repeated.
He opened his eyes, staring through splayed fingers at the accumulating puddle of water on the linoleum tile at his feet.
Teddy straightened and slumped to his bedroom. His bed swallowed it, and there was only a little space on the side by the closet to change.
Zippering up his dry jeans, Teddy pulled his wet t-shirt over his head and threw it at the laundry bin stuffed in the corner of his room. He missed. He bent over and placed it on top of the other clothing, tossing the plain grey shirt he'd dragged out of the closet onto the bed.
Teddy jumped a mile when a pop and a bang sounded from the kitchen; he flew out the door, grabbing his shirt as he passed.
He skidded to a stop as soon as he exited. There, amidst a backdrop of dull yellow paint, stood Victoire, flowing blonde hair and all, in the middle of his kitchen, looking extremely pleased.
"Teddy!" she cried, eyes shut, throwing both her arms up in the air, "I'm seventeen!"
It was hard to find words at that moment, to make some sort of witty comment, with Victoire grinning in her glory across the kitchen, arms invitingly outstretched.
It was then that he noticed the toppled breakfast table and chairs in the corner behind her.
"Did you do that?" he deadpanned, quirking an eyebrow.
She pouted, crossing her arms across her chest. "Teddy," she whined, and he realized that all she needed to do was stomp her foot to remind him of her five year old self, "I just passed my Apparation test! And it's my birthday! Be nice!"
"I am nice," he mumbled, earning a small smile.
"So, what is this? Am I going to get a hug or what?"
He quickly grinned back. "Of course you are. I feel like I haven't seen you in ages," he responded truthfully.
Victoire rolled her blue eyes. "You saw me just last week, when I got picked up from the train, remember?" she reminded, but her eyes were bright when she crossed the kitchen and put her arms around his neck.
He'd just wrapped his arms around her when she drew slightly back with her hands on his shoulders.
"What?" he asked at the puzzled look on her face.
"Why isn't your hair blue? And," her cheeks tinged slightly pink, "why don't you have a shirt on?"
"I still don't know why you told me that you were too busy to see me today," Teddy complained, set with the grey shirt on and his normal electric blue hair.
"And I still don't know why you didn't have a shirt on," she responded teasingly, looking up at him from her sprawled position on the couch.
He knew it was familiar, that it was completely normal for her to be laying there like that next to him; when he bought his flat last summer, they'd spent as much time together as they could in order to, in some way, make up for the time they'd lose before she went off to school and he to work. It was ordinary. It was Victoire.
"I told you!" he groaned, feeling his face heat up, "My clothes got all wet, I was just changing! And answer my question!"
"Mmm," she hummed, feigning thought, "well I wanted it to be a surprise. Me passing my Apparation test, that is. And speaking of surprises… why did you say you didn't have a shirt on again?"
"I seriously just told you this. I forgot the spell to dry myself off after I got soaked. I was in the middle of changing when you destroyed my kitchen. And besides, didn't they tell you that it was rude to Apparate in the middle of someone's house?"
Victoire slightly smile, and rolled her eyes. "No, I mean, really, Ted."
"I'm being serious!" he exclaimed. "I was wet from walking home from the store."
He watched the way she lowered her eyes as she shifted to sit up next to him. Her mussed blonde hair fell messily down her back, waves framing her face. "I mean," she started, hesitating, and the humor slid off the planes of her face, "you would, you know…" she struggled, eyes searching as if looking for the words on the floor, "I mean, if there was ano- a girl," she rushed with rapid hand gestures, meeting his curious gaze now, "you would tell me, right?"
This question almost jolted him as he saw the honesty in her blue eyes. They'd both been in relationships before, and though he'd never really liked any of Victoire's boyfriends and he had liked all the girls he'd been with, it had never before felt so wrong to imagine anyone but Victoire sitting beside him at that moment.
He blinked and forbade that thought. He looked away, disconnecting their gaze; it was easier to think rationally without drowning in the sea.
"Teddy?" she whispered.
Her expression was guarded and serious when he looked back.
"You would know," he reassured.
"Good," she sighed, resting her feet on the table as she sidled down to rest her head on his shoulder. Unconsciously, he placed his chin on top her blonde hair and shifted to make her more comfortable. She took his hand, slightly hugging his arm, giving another contented sigh.
It would be easy for him to pretend that they both were feeling the way he did as he marveled at how she seemed made to nestle in his side. Times like these, especially recently, made it so difficult for Teddy to remember that he was like an older brother to her, maybe, he couldn't decide whether this'd be better or not, a cousin. He had been practically raised by the Potters. She would never think of him that way. His stomach dropped with his spirits.
Pathetic, he reminded feebly, wincing, but he ignored himself, closing his eyes, and resigned himself to enjoying the feel of Victoire's soft form mold to the shape of his.
They entered into a long, sleepy silence, and the air was as if time had simply been suspended.
Victoire seemed different today. Different than what he was used to, although the last time he'd really spent time with her was during the Christmas holidays. She was still breathtaking, but such quiet, serious, sensitive moments were far and few in between with them. He was more accustomed to the bubbly, positive, energetic Victoire that teased him like they were still eight and ten.
"Victoire?" he finally murmured.
"Hm?" she breathed, shifting slightly, nuzzling his arm.
"Victoire," Teddy repeated.
"Yeah, what is it, Ted?" she mumbled drowsily against his bicep. He repressed a shiver at the feel of her lips moving on his skin.
He sighed. As much as he regretted it, it was Victoire's birthday, and it wasn't to be spent lounging on his old sofa half asleep. Her birthdays usually required elaborate scheming, a day spent running around doing whatever she wanted. He supposed he couldn't continue taking advantage of this. No matter how much peace or happiness it brought him.
"What are we doing?" he tiredly asked.
Teddy became confused when he felt her formerly relaxed body tense where it touched his.
"…What do you mean?" she said shortly, remaining fixed in her position, head still leaning against his arm.
"It's your birthday, Vic, and it's getting late. We should get going, do something, or something," he reasoned resignedly to the top of her head, slowly removing his arm from her grasp.
"Oh," she said, but sounded relieved, a little disappointed, and her shoulders no longer looked so tight.
She sat straight and took her hands in her lap.
"Yeah," she said softly, biting her lip while looking up at him, "it is. And we should…" she looked down at her hands again, "But I'm kind of worn out. Tired, you know," she finished, and she looked up and met his eyes, shy, and he wondered where her ever-present boldness went.
His stomach fluttered. His hopes were ripping down his half-hearted restraints.
"We can stay here," he replied searchingly, hoping this is what she wanted, "if you want to."
"Yeah," she sighed, looking up at him from under her lashes and smiling, "That would be nice."
"Okay," he said, to fill the silence, to muffle the loud beats of his heart.
He willed himself to relax as she stretched over to lay her head on his shoulder. She'd already closed her eyes, but he could tell she was uncomfortable.
He didn't want to overstep any boundaries… and their boundaries were so blurred. He felt like they jumped backwards and forwards and he could never tell what she felt. Every time he thought he was close to an answer, she would start chatting about some boy in her year, or then give him a look that sent waves down his spine.
Teddy decided that as of right now, she teetered more towards his side of the spectrum. Teddy decided that maybe a small step would be the right one.
With some apprehension that glazed his just recently resolved mind, he smoothly swung his feet from off the floor and stretched his legs down the length of the sofa. He reclined his head back onto the pillow leaning against the sofa's arm, and he moved slightly to face Victoire a little more.
She, obviously aware of his change in position, began shifting with him, and he relaxed as she moved to stay with him. She nestled her head in the crook between his neck and shoulder, and when she sighed into his neck, so close to his neck he could almost feel her lips, his arm acted and draped itself over her back, bringing her more securely to his chest.
He closed his eyes as she sighed again, breath skating across his neck and collarbone. He breathed through his nose, more or less snuggling closer to her.
A lazy smile flitted across his face as her fingers softly curled into his soft grey shirt.
"Teddy?" she murmured, as drowsily as he suddenly felt, the world moving slower with his contentment.
"Hm?" he hummed eyes still shut, taking in the way her hand felt on his steadily rising and falling chest.
It was quiet for awhile, it could've been seconds or a few minutes, he was just wrapped up in the way they were wrapped up, and he started to think he'd imagine her saying anything at all.
The moment prolonged, stretching, and he felt so cozy and warm, the pattering of the rain resounding around the house lulled him near to sleep accompanied by Victoire's breathing. In those moments before he dropped off to sleep, he would've sworn that he'd felt soft lips at his collarbone, but in those moments it is so hard to discern from dream and reality.
The two figures, shifting and holding each other in sleep, lay on that sofa, squeezed into that small living area, conjoined with the kitchen with not enough counter space where the table and chairs still lay haphazardly strewn on the tile floor. The brown bag sat on the counter, forgotten, and puddles were starting to evaporate on the floor. Her light jacket, light also in color, was draped across the coffee table, and a ring of keys rested on top of that. His hair changed color slowly in his sleep to dreams he may or may not remember, and she wore a tranquil expression that complimented her beauty.
His mind was in a daze when the peaceful slumber he'd fallen into was broken by a door slamming shut. He tightened his eyes shut, groaning, nuzzling closer to his comfort. Said comfort mumbled something unintelligible, and his mind went blank when he remembered that he'd fallen asleep with Victoire practically laying completely on him. She buried her head in his neck, clutching his shirt in a fist, and he wondered if she realized it was him yet.
He was preoccupied with Victoire, naturally, and so when a voice sounded from the doorway it threw him again.
"Oh hey guys," came a flat tone. Squinting his eyes open, he was shocked by two things; one, it was dark outside, and two, Dominique was standing, arms crossed, next to his umbrella.
Her brow was raised. "Victoire. Get up."
Teddy stiffened, slowly sitting up. Victoire was still barely coherent, groaning as he got up, drowsily trying to push him back down. "No… tired… go away."
He gingerly eased himself up, Victoire coming about.
Dominique, looking so much like her sister, though with sharper edges, tapped her foot on the hard floor.
Victoire suddenly let go of him, covering her hand over her eyes.
"Oh god…" she moaned.
"Yeah, that's right you should be saying 'Oh god.' Do you realize what time it is?" her younger sister demanded impatiently.
"Oh shite…"
Teddy felt a little uncomfortable; he'd been caught dozing with Victoire on the sofa (though you could hardly call it dozing, they had slept for at least three hours) by her sister, practically his little cousin, and he had no idea what was going on.
Dominique had started ranting. "… and Mum is yelling in French asking where the hell you are, and you know, that's the damn thing about you being allowed to Apparate, you just get up and leave when you want, yeah, and I have to deal with the consequences."
Victoire put her head in her hands.
"..and it's your own bloody birthday dinner. It's not even that you were late to mine! Your own birthday! And while Mum and Dad are trying to think about where you went, since the possibilities are just endless now," she spat, "I figured I'd check here. And what do I find?" she said, raising her voice, gesturing towards the sofa, "You on top of Ted. Teddy Lupin, remember?"
He flushed, scratching the back of his neck. He chanced a glance over at Victoire where she was gathering her keys and jacket, and her cheeks were full of color.
"Jesus, Dominique, I'm coming. I fell asleep for Christ's sake."
Dominique's eyebrows softened, but she still looked stressed. "You really worried Mum and Dad though. First day of age and you already had them out of their minds. I told them they should have just checked here, but they thought you'd be out gallivanting already," she muttered.
Victoire was hurrying around, waving her wand to restore the fallen table and chairs from earlier back to their proper position. She hadn't looked at him since they woke up, and it had him feeling edgy and nervous.
"Let's go, let's go," rushed Victoire, long legs pacing to reach Dominique.
Teddy awkwardly stood, not quite sure what to do.
"Well, bye then?" he said, and he rubbed behind his neck.
She finally looked at him for a moment, and her eyes were clouded and uncertain. She looked away quickly, and her cheeks were flushed again.
"Yeah, I'll… I'll stop by again sometime soon, okay?" she said. She gave him a fleeting smile before she turned to Dominique, who was observing the entire scene interestedly, and muttered, "Okay let's go," grabbing her hand and, with a pop, disappeared from his flat.
babylon by david grey
all i want from you is love by let's go sailing
(AN: hope it provided some interest. PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW. I'm curious how this one'll be received, since I hadn't been really planning on making this one to put up here. So please, help a girl out, review. It doesn't take long. pretty please?)
