~the delight we take in pointless victories
Victoire Weasley
Teddy lifts her up and she laughs harder than ever and her life is perfect (for a little while at least) and at that moment she's the only person in his life (plus Lily but she's just a friend, right?) and she doesn't need anything else, not even a happily ever after.
When Teddy leaves she's broken and empty because he was her happily ever after (and she tells herself she doesn't need one, because of course she doesn't) but then he left and became Lily's, and she wants so much to hate him but she knows that she can't, not really.
;;
Each time she looks in the mirror she can't help but notice that she still has on Teddy's ribbon, a little frayed after 6 years but still just as pretty as the day she got it and she knows that she won't ever take it off.
Everyone stares with judgments as heavy as lead and eyes as sharp as needles, all she can do is leave and of course she doesn't cry (because princesses never do) but maybe there are tears&&mutteredprofanities and when she leaves the room everyone pretends they didn't notice and maybe that makes her feel better (just a little bit).
He gave her the box just as she was leaving for school and she couldn't help but hope that maybe she had imagined all the times he had glanced at Lily and she had held his gaze (her eyes full of stupid, pointless hope) and she kept the silver bracelet so she would never forget it was her he gave it to, and she pretends she doesn't notice the one in Lily's room.
;;
When she finally breaks down there's no one around (and thank Merlin Teddy isn't) because she's sobbing and cursing his name because he was supposed to be her happily ever after and he ruined it just like he does with everything. She knows she has to get out and so she climbs out the window and doesn't even bother to lock it behind her.
She still has the ribbon on, the frayed ends twisted in her silvery blonde hair, a beacon in the dark for anyone who wants to find her. She doesn't care, just tries not to cry as she looks up at her closed window and wishes she didn't ever have to go back.
She has an idea, and maybe it's childish behaviour, but she doesn't really care because for now she's done caring.
Maybe it's stupid and pointless but it gives her something to do at least and it makes her smile (painful&&twisted but a smile nonetheless) and no one's telling her to do it.
;;
When she's finally finished she doesn't turn around to look at the pile of vines she ripped off the wall because she's done with thinking about things so she just laughs through the tears that are still there and keeps walking.
The day Teddy left her he did it quietly, with nothing more than a pleading look for forgiveness and a lipstick stain on his cheek and Victoire couldn't forget the picture of her Teddy kissing the little girl with the redred hair that Victoire will never have.
When she turns her head she can feel the ribbon tugging against her hair and she wonders that even after all this time she still wears it, like a little girl with nothing left but a broken heart and stupid, pointless hope.
;;
When she's done crying she picks herself up and refuses to look at the sun peeking over the horizon because it will just remind her of when Teddy used to whisper her name as they sat and watched another day dawn on their bloody perfect happily ever after.
She knows it was just love. Just something that she really shouldn't have expected to turn into anything, but she did and now her dreams are splitting at the edges and her life is falling apart.
;;
She had never been good with tragedy. Happiness was easy and anger was like flame to a match but Victoire wishes maybe she didn't cry so hard because it's only a boy, and besides, she didn't need a happily ever after anyway.
When all she wanted (him, that boy, Teddy) ended up being far too much, she had to make do with nothing (plus heartbreak && pain && everything she never wanted), and somehow she's still alive and maybe now she'll give up surviving and really start living.
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She finally sees her house and she smiles because even though it's stupid (of course those broken vines mean nothing) she can't help but delight in the fact that (however uselessly) she's ripped apart the vines covering the wall outside her room. Now she can't climb back up to her window (and oh how she wishes she really&truly couldn't). She can just open the front door but somehow this pointless victory feels special because it feels like her life, just for a moment.
She does end up coming inside, but not until her father leans out and tells her to come in, and she does so with a smirk that screams don't care, even though she wishes someone would.
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When she next looks in the mirror she ignores her tear-stained face and stares at her silvery blonde hair, held back by the pretty ribbon she shouldn't still have.
She sneaks out again, (of course she does darling) and spends the whole night under the stars, with tears®rets&bittermemories and even when the sun dawns she doesn't get up because the only thing she can think of right now is why?
The house is silent when she finally gets back, and she can just see the ribbon tied to the window, holding it closed (when will she tire of pointless victories?) and she smiles again and sits outside until she's asked to come in, smirking as if she really doesn't care (and this time maybe she doesn't, just a little bit).
;;
The next time she leaves it's the vines again, ripped and broken all over the ground, so she can't get back in (just keep wishing, sweetheart) and this time her parents don't bother to ask her to come in but just let her sit outside until she wants to come in.
Each time the smirk gets a little more real, and the pain goes away a little bit more, until finally she leaves the house and doesn't cry (not one tear, finally) and she knows that this time she's not coming back.