A/N: I owe you all a huge apology. I'm sorry. My life has been really not-so-great for a while now, and that's no excuse, but there you are. Anyway, I really think things are looking up, so I'll try my hardest to be a better updater. Stick with me, yeah? :)

Here's the next chapter (finally).

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is a Goddess and the Creator of all things Harry Potter.

Victoire Isabelle Weasley

She squirms in Daddy's lap. She said she wanted to come, she wanted to show that she was grown up now, being eight years old starting today, but she's not so sure if it was a good idea anymore.

It's boring.

It's her birthday. It shouldn't be boring.

Teddy's not here. His grandmum wouldn't let him come. It probably wouldn't be as boring if he were here.

She wriggles around again, and Daddy pats her leg. "Stop that, Vicky. Listen."

She sits still and listens. Daddy and Maman's friend, Kingsley – the Minister of Magic – is at the podium in front of the Black Lake, making a speech.

" . . . And today, we celebrate a victory . . . "

She tunes out after that. Victory. That's what her name means. That's where her name comes from. Because a billion years ago (in her mind), Maman and Daddy – and Grandmum and Granddad and Uncle Charlie and Uncle Percy and Uncle George and Auntie Angie and Uncle Ron and Auntie Hermione and Auntie Ginny and Uncle Harry and Auntie Luna and Uncle Neville and the unknown Uncle Fred, Uncle Remus, and Auntie Tonks – fought in a war. And won.

It was a big war, Daddy tells her. One that was fought before, then stopped (by Uncle Harry, when he was a baby, Teddy tells her), then started again. A war against a bad man who tried to kill people like Auntie Hermione, just because their parents were Muggles.

She doesn't really understand all of it (not that she'd admit that to Dominique or Louis), but she knows it's important. She knows that today – the second of May, her birthday – is important. She knows that her name is important.

So she bears it. She bears the disjointed birthday parties she always has, because Auntie Andromeda won't come, and Grandmum and Uncle George look sad, and Teddy is distracted, and Auntie Hermione, Uncle Ron, and Uncle Harry come late. She bears the weighty name that was dropped onto her: Victoire. People always stare at her when she tells them who she is.

She bears it, because even though she gets annoyed and upset with it all sometimes, in a way, it makes her important. And she thinks it's all quite fitting, what with her being the oldest Weasley kid, because she bears it for her younger siblings and cousins, too.

They never need to know what it's like having a name like hers.

Later, she goes up to sign the guestbook with Daddy and Maman. Daddy signs first, then Maman. Once they're done, Maman helps her up onto the little stool in front of the book and hands her a quill.

Victoire looks down at the page in front of her and signs at the bottom.

The last two lines now read:

Fleur Isabelle Weasley

Victoire Isabelle Weasley

Their names are almost exactly the same. "Isabelle", Maman told her, is a traditional Delacour name, given to the eldest daughter. Victoire doesn't know why, but Maman seemed to think it was a good enough answer, so she doesn't ask again.

She's very like her mother, people tell her. She certainly looks a lot like her. They both have long, straight, fine blonde hair, though Victoire's has the slightest hint of red. They both have wide blue eyes, straight white teeth, and pale delicate features.

They both like reading and baking and dancing. They both like gingersnaps and macaroons and peppermint tea. They both like kittens and dresses and Daddy. And they both have a tough side that surprises everyone who first meets them.

Maman is the most beautiful woman in the world, Victoire thinks (and Daddy agrees, so it must be true), so she's glad people say she's like Maman.

But she's not totally like Maman.

Maman hates the winter; Victoire loves it. Maman loves bouillabaisse; Victoire hates it. Maman always loves Dominique; Victoire sometimes hates her. Maman says mean things sometimes, over the tiniest things; Victoire never says mean things, except if it's something really, really bad.

So she's kind of like Maman. Which is good, because she loves her Maman. Maman is beautiful and funny and strong and always wants to know how her Vicky is doing. Maman is one of the best people in the world, and Victoire wants to be like her when she grows up.

But she also wants to be Victoire.

A/N: Hmm . . . I'm not sure how I feel about this piece. So how about you guys tell me how you feel about it? ;)

And just in case:

"Maman" is French for "mom"/"mum".

Bouillabaisse is a Provençal (meaning it's from Provence, in the southeast of France) seafood stew. It was mentioned in GoF, at the feast to welcome the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students.

And I think a recap of the Next Generation kids would be good here. Siblings are listed from oldest to youngest:

Bill and Fleur: Victoire, Dominique, Louis

Percy and Audrey: Molly, Lucy

George and Angelina: Fred, Roxanne

Ron and Hermione: Rose, Hugo

Ginny and Harry: James Sirius, Albus Severus, Lily Luna

Draco and Astoria: Scorpius Hyperion

And that's that.

Dominique is next!

I love you all :)

Irasi

Update 8/2/13: I edited some grammatical stuff that wasn't transferred from my word document to the published version and the cringe-worthy misuse of "bare" instead of "bear". I also added the tough aspect of Fleur's personality, which I think Victoire would also have, that I'd overlooked when I first wrote this.

Also, thanks to BlackKristin's review, I think I should address Lorcan and Lysander, Luna and Rolf Scamander's children. At this point, I'm not including them in this fic because I don't have any ideas for what to write for either of them. But that may change in the future.