A.N: For the Next-Gen Armada on the Next-Gen Fanatics Forum. Also for the Seven Fics Challenge on HPFC (Word Count: 1000-1700)
I've wanted to write song-fic-type stories for Taylor Swift's Red and Speak Now albums, so here we go. It's a bit broken up, but I feel that it can tell a story. Spans a few years in the relationship between Teddy and Vic. Please review!
Pairing: Victoire/Teddy
Word Count: 1,364
Song: Stay, Stay, Stay. Album: Red
Thanks to my wonderful beta, MissingMommy!
iiii
That playful twinkle in his deep, brown eyes. That ever-changing hair. Those perfect teeth that shone when he smiled. These were just some of the things that made Teddy Lupin one of the most handsome and irresistible boys at Hogwarts. The fact that every girl was falling head over heels for the Metamorphmagus did not deter Victoire Weasley from falling for him, as well.
Victoire, however, had something that the other girls didn't. She had connections.
Sure, Victoire had gone out with her fair share of boys through the years. She was a fifth year, and was the object of many boys' admiration—being one-eighth Veela may have been a factor in this.
She had known Teddy all her life and they had grown very close over the years, what with their families being practically inseparable. When Victoire first came to Hogwarts, she was elated to think that she would get to spend more time with him.
She was unfortunately mistaken.
Teddy was two years older than Victoire, and he had his own friends. Teddy was in Gryffindor, whereas Victoire had been Sorted into Ravenclaw. It was very rare that they would encounter each other in a corridor; other than meals, Victoire hardly ever saw Teddy.
Victoire had been so sure that nothing could ever come between the two of them.
It was May. Victoire's first year at Hogwarts was drawing to a close. She had made many friends in Ravenclaw House, but she longed for the summer holidays to begin. She wanted to spend those familiar, countless hours with Teddy, where no one would criticize the two of them for their Houses or age difference. They could just be together, like in the old days.
The years that preceded Teddy's eleventh birthday were filled with a myriad of secrets, dreams,and fantasies that Victoire and Teddy shared. Once Teddy boarded the Hogwarts Express for the first time, Victoire felt a piece of herself leave with him. She yearned for him to return home for Christmas, so she could see him, face to face.
Teddy wrote to Victoire nearly every day. He told her of his classes, his friends, the goings-on at Hogwarts, among other topics. She would always respond with a heartfelt reply, before carefully stowing the letter he sent her in her desk drawer. This particular drawer held all of Victoire's mementos that she had gotten from Teddy over the years.
No one else opened the drawer. No one else knew of its contents,nor would Victoire ever tell. It was her 'secret' drawer.
Even when Teddy was physically gone, he was always there. Right by Victoire's side, no matter what. It was as though he never left. He was always there in spirit.
And Victoire had always loved him, whether he knew it or not. She wanted—needed—him to stay with her.
To Victoire, Teddy was the knight in shining armor. He was the star that lit up the night sky.
In Teddy's fourth year, he tested Victoire's determination without knowing. He had gotten himself a girlfriend.
.
"Teddy, do you like her?" Victoire asked him. They were at King's Cross Station, and Teddy was staring off past the fog at a very pretty girl in his year.
Teddy didn't reply, but his glazed expression was answer enough.
"I'll take that as a yes. So, tell me. What exactly do you find so interesting about her?"
Victoire may have been prying, but she couldn't help it. Teddy was hers.
Again, Teddy remained silent. Victoire huffed, crossed her arms, and turned back to her parents.
"Vic, I've been meaning to tell you something." Teddy paused, breathing slowly, not looking at Victoire. "I've..um.. I'm going to work as a curse-breaker for Gringotts, like your dad."
"Wh-what?" Victoire asked hesitantly.
Teddy closed his eyes, appearing to brace himself. He opened his eyes, bringing them to Victoire's.
"And I'll…erm… be working in..Egypt."
Victoire gasped. Could he really be doing this to her? He had just broken up with his girlfriend, thereby raising Victoire's hope, just so he could blow every last bit of it to smithereens.
Why does life have to be so bloody difficult?
"E-Egypt? Teddy, are…are you sure about this?" she questioned.
"I'm sorry, Vic."
"Don't call me Vic,"she snarled before turning on her heel and storming out of the room.
She ran down the hallway, pulled open the bathroom door and threw herself through the threshold.
Victoire fell onto the floor, tears streaming down her face.
A few minutes later, she heard footsteps beyond the door. Teddy's voice sounded.
"Victoire, I know you're in there. Open up."
"Leave me alone," she murmured. She curled up into a ball, wiping a tear from her cheek.
She expected some retort out of Teddy, but instead heard soft footfalls walking away from her.
Standing up shakily, she took a glance in the mirror. Her makeup was smudged from her tears, her eyes red and puffy. Again, she heard someone coming to her.
There was a gentle knock on the door.
"Victoire, open up, chérie."
Victoire slowly eased the door open, looking into her mother's eyes.
"Maman," she said quietly, before finding herself enveloped in her mother's arms. "Did Teddy– hic – tell you he was…" her voice broke off.
Fleur nodded softly. "'e told your papa. Je suis désolé."
"I just…I wish he told me…before."
Her mother nodded, patting Victoire's back consolingly.
"Zere will be a party," Fleur said, obviously trying to cheer Victoire up.
"Parties are for celebrating," Victoire said glumly.
"I know…" Fleur responded.
Teddy's going away party was a solemn event for Victoire. Everyone was in the Burrow's sitting room, which had long since reached its ideal full capacity.
Victoire sat in a corner, her head resting on a wall, her nose in a book that just so happened to be upside-down. Every few seconds, she would shoot a glare across the room at Teddy.
"Vic?"
She jumped, not having seen anyone approach her. "Oh," she said. "Hi, Molly. What's up?"
"You're book's upside down, you know," she said.
"Oh, is it? Huh, that would explain a lot. Thanks, Molls."
"What's up with you, Vic? You seem…odd."
"Nothing," Victoire said quickly. Her eyes wandered, once again, over to where Teddy sat in the center of the crowd.
"It's sad, isn't it? Teddy leaving, I mean. I'll really miss him." Molly's eyes followed Victoire's to the middle of the over-crowded room. "You really love him, don't you? We can all tell, Vic." Molly said these words with such understanding, it was almost as though she could perform Legilimency.
Victoire sighed. "Yeah, I do."
"I thought so," Molly said matter-of-factly.
"I think I'm going to talk to him. See you later?" Victoire asked her younger cousin.
"I'll leave you and your boyfriend in peace." She walked away and was swallowed by the crowd before Victoire could make her feeble attempt at "He's not my boyfriend."
She rose, making her way through her family members. She caught Teddy's arm, and whispered in his ear, "Follow me."
She led him out the back door and through the yard. Taking a seat on the bench and gesturing that he do the same, she turned to him.
"Look, Teddy. There's no easy way for me to say this—" Victoire began, but she was cut off by Teddy, who said:
"I know. Listen. I've been thinking, and…I don't really want to be a curse-breaker, after all. I've decided to look into a job a little closer to home."
Victoire's eyes glowed with excitement. "Really, Ted? Are you sure? That's…great! What made you change your mind?"
Teddy blushed, before quickly—and unexpectedly—kissing Victoire. Her look of shock mingled with joy at his actions was what truly made him change his mind. He put his hand through her hair, breathing in the smell of her rose-and-lilac scented shampoo.
This is it. After all these years, I finally have what I've been waiting for. I knew it all along; too bad it took him this long to catch on.
Stay and I'll be loving you for quite some time…
I think that it's best if we both stay.