Our Little Victory

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

A/N: This is for Taragh McCarthy's Word Limit Competition, Round Three.

She was my best friend. The most amazing friend anyone could ever want.

Except that was never enough.

I loved her, and she didn't love me back. It was a simple, classic story of unreciprocated love. The books always described how much it hurt in such detail that I just assumed it was exaggerated.

Turns out it wasn't anywhere near as painful as it feels in real life.

To watch her with other guys was the hardest part. To see her laugh, and flirt, and kiss them. To know they were intimate with her, touching her with their grubby little hands.

It made my blood boil.

So many times have I been tempted to grab my wand and curse them to oblivion, to see their stupid faces recoil in fear and pain.

But I never did it, because I wasn't an idiot. It seemed pretty obvious to me that if I hurt one of her boyfriends, she would hate me, not them, and her hatred would kill me.

Literally.

No, really.

So I would pretend to like them, befriend them even. Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, right?

And then, when they broke her heart, I would comfort her, then go to their houses in the night and scream at them, abuse them, but never curse them. She would never forgive me if I hurt anyone, and like I said, I wouldn't be able to survive without her.

Friendship is better than nothing, even though everything she does kills me.

I love her, and that will never change, I fear, but she really is destroying me.

Oh, little Victoire, why do you have to be so damn perfect?

But that's just you, isn't it?

Our perfect little victory, born on the anniversary of the end of the war.

)O(

Another day, another boyfriend, another drama.

But still, I stick through it all, and with every kiss she gave another boy, my heart breaks again.

And soon enough, it's hard to hide it, and Harry notices. He thinks I'm ill, that I have a cold, or something menial.

Who knew heartache could have such a physical affect?

I didn't, but then even more people began to notice.

"What's wrong, Teddy?" They'd all ask me.

"Nothing."

It was a lie. They knew it, I knew it.

She didn't though.

But soon people started to realise what the problem was.

"Do you love her, Teddy?" Harry asked me.

"No, 'course not!"

That was a lie too. They knew it, he knew it.

She didn't.

Then not even she couldn't deny knowing what was wrong with me.

"Teddy… Do you love me?" She asked me.

"…."

I ran. And she knew the answer. But I wasn't brave enough to admit it. I ran, and I ran, until I could run no more, and I could finally breathe, and cry, and breathe, and sob, and breathe, and die…

…inside, at least.

Rejection – now that was one think I could definitely never recover from. The pity, the guilt, the sadness in her eyes as she told me that she did love me too, but only as a friend, or like a brother.

Her not knowing is one thing, but for her to know and not return the feelings is ever harder.

It would be so much easier just not to know how she felt.

Sure, maybe shewould have returned the feelings and my life would be amazing.

Or, she could have destroyed everything.

It wasn't a risk I was willing to take.

Sorry.

)O(

I managed to avoid her for weeks.

It was pretty easy, actually. Or maybe she was avoiding me too.

I wouldn't have been surprised. I made things quite awkward, you know, with that whole 'being completely in love with her' thing.

Everyone was telling me to grow up, and just talk to her, to tell her exactly how I felt and deal with it, regardless of what she said.

It's not that easy though.

Every time I even thought about telling her about the deep love I had for her in my stupid heart, my throat would close up, my palms grew sweaty and my eyes began to water with tears that I really didn't understand.

I couldn't tell her, I really couldn't.

It was as though something was physically restraining me from making a fool out of myself.

At the same time though, it was killing me not to see her every day, to talk to her every day. I just want to be with her, even just as a friend. I want for it to just go back to how it was.

Get a new boyfriend, cry to me about how he broke her heart, and I could comfort her in my arms again.

That was so much better than this uncertain time of will she/won't she?

My best friend, that's what she was.

Was, yes, but now I don't know what she is.

And now I'm not sure what I am anymore, or what she is, or what we are.

Victoire Weasley – perfect, lovely and my dream come true.

But now it seems she's nowhere.

Not in a world I live in, at least.

Perhaps…

Perhaps I could go and find her, tell her how I feel and then beg her to let us go back to what we were.

Yes, that sounds like a good plan indeed.

)O(

I can't find her.

Not anywhere. I ask everyone, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Hermione…

I even ask Victoire's parents, but no sign of her anywhere.

I look for her in every place I can, but it's like she is hiding from me.

So I keep on searching, every day for a whole week, before I finally see her.

She's alone, in Diagon Alley, standing in the mostly empty streets, gazing into the window of the shop we always used to go in together. She looks so sad, and I haven't seen her as sad as this, well, ever.

Not even when her heart was broken, not even when she was so hurt.

I don't understand.

Why is she so upset, when I'm the one whose heart is shattered into a billion pieces?

So I go up to her, baby steps at first, before gaining confidence and striding, desperate to look upon her beautiful face again.

I put my freezing hand on her shoulder, and she turns, with tears in her eyes.

If I'm going to tell her, then I will tell her everything.

I can't hold back now. I will go all the way, throw my whole self into my love for her.

Even if it breaks me, forces me into a deep sadness, I have to do this, for her, if anything.

She needs to know why I ran, why I left and abandoned her for weeks on end.

So yes, I'll go all the way. Tell her how much I love her, and for how long, and how much I have hurt for so many years.

All the way, yes.

So I swallow, one gulp, and it's time to spill my heart.

A deep breath, and I begin…

)O(

It wasn't as hard as I would have imagined.

I just talked, and everything came out, like a dam had broken and an ocean was washing through it.

Yes, I went all the way, and she listened, so patiently.

She was so still, and silent, and not one trace of emotion was present on her face.

Not until I was finished, that is,

Well, I say emotion appeared on her face, but it was hard to tell really, as she had launched herself at me, and was covering my lips with hers.

It was the most perfect moment of my life.

Our lips seemed to meld together as though they were made to kiss only each other.

I was so surprised at first, but I soon got into the rhythm of it.

I had never been so happy.

Why hadn't I told her this sooner?

I was full of thoughts of what ifs and what could have beens, but when it all came down to it, we were kissing. Now. Me and her, lip to lip, heart to heart.

I pulled her closer, and she groaned happily.

Did she love me too?

Or was it just the moment? I couldn't tell, but I didn't care at that moment, as she was kissing me and I was kissing back and it was so perfect.

But my questioned was answered soon enough.

She pulled away, smiled and gazed into my eyes.

"I love you, Teddy Lupin. What took you so long?"

I kissed her again.

"I don't know. I guess I'm an idiot."

"That you are. But you're my silly, perfect idiot."