"WHERE IS EVERYONE? IT'S ALMOST TEN 'O' CLOCK YOU SHOULD BE LEAVING!" Molly shouted from the bottom of the stairs, as faces appeared over the banisters on all floors.
Footsteps of an assortment of children running down the stairs could be heard, "I'm going to Hogwarts, I'm going to Hogwarts!" sung Lily to anyone who would listen.
"No one cares Lily oh my God shut up!" James shouted over her.
"Hey James, don't be mean she's just excited okay?" Teddy replied, with Molly nodding and smiling in the background.
Victoire slowly walked down the stairs and Teddy walked towards her. "You okay Tori?"
"Louis is up there, he doesn't want to go to Hogwarts and I can't tell my parents because they'll ask why. I don't know what to do Ted."
"Hey, hey, is Dominique up there with him?"
"Yeah she's trying but it isn't doing much good..."
"Come on let's go talk to him." Teddy reassured her. "We'll sort this."
Teddy and Victoire began walking back up the stairs when Mrs. Weasley shouted "You two, you're going the wrong way!"
"Sorry Mrs. Weasley, we're ready so we're gonna go round up the rest of the kids." Teddy smiled sweetly.
"Of course dear, sorry, I forget that you two aren't like the rest of the kids, go on then, thank you!" Molly replied, already walking away to do one of the many jobs that needed doing.
Teddy laughed and grabbed Victoire's hand, running up the flights of stairs to the room that Victoire had slept in the previous night. Slowly, Victoire pushed the door open and entered, Teddy following. Inside, Louis was curled up in a ball, rocking backwards and forwards with tears streaming down his face and Dominique was sat on the edge of the bed, looking helpless.
When the door opened, Louis and Dominique looked towards it. "You promised you wouldn't tell anyone!" shouted Louis, "I don't want anyone to know."
"Hey, Louis it's okay mate, I won't tell anyone I promise. Look I'm here to help." Teddy said, slowly walking towards the bed. "Domi, Mrs. Weasley is already getting pissy downstairs because you guys aren't ready so you should probably go. I'll sort this."
"Fine, but don't call me Domi for goodness' sake." Dominique sighed, leaving and shutting the door behind her.
"So Louis, look I know what happened yesterday at the Malfoy's okay, but why don't you want to go to Hogwarts?"
"I will see Scorpious again and everything will be bad and everyone will find out and laugh and I just don't want to go okay." Louis sobbed.
"Look, you need to talk to Scorpious about it, but no one will find out if you don't want them to."
"What about my mum and dad, they'll find out because everyone in this shitty family will tell them everything."
"Hey, they won't need to find out okay. We really need to go or someone is gonna come up and find us okay?"
"No because someone will find out and tell them there are no secrets and you know it." Louis shouted. "So don't lie to me, I'm not Lily."
"I'm gonna tell you something Louis okay, right-" Teddy began but was interrupted by Dominique opening the door.
"Guys you really need to go, Mum and Dad are gonna be up here soon and it won't be pretty." Dominique explained, sitting back on the bed.
"We'll be down in a second okay." Victoire smiled.
"Right, Louis you've gotta promise not to tell anyone okay?" Teddy looked towards Victoire and she glanced towards Dominique who looked backwards and forwards from them.
"Come on guys, I'm not stupid I know." Dominique laughed. Louis looked up, confused what everyone knew but him.
"What?" Louis asked.
"Teddy and Vic are screwing each other okay? And no one knows. So you can keep you and Scorpious a secret if you really want. Now can we please go before we are murdered?"
Teddy burst out laughing, "I guess we aren't as discrete as we thought Tori."
"Mhhm, come on guys let's go, not a word of any of this to anyone" Victoire replied, unsure what to think of Dominique knowing their secret.
Downstairs, everyone was lined up by the fireplace ready to leave, whilst Mrs. Weasley frantically wandered around. "Bill can you sort your children out, everyone is downstairs and ready apart from them!"
"Yes Mum, I'll sort them." Bill replied and then began shouting. "Victoire, Louis, Dominique. Get down here. NOW!"
At that point, Victoire and Dominique appeared downstairs, followed by Louis and finally Teddy who was levitating all their bags downstairs.
"Come on you guys, and why aren't you carrying your own bags?" Fleur asked, her French accent had almost disappeared since Dominique was born.
"It's fine." Smiled Teddy, then whispered "It got them downstairs quicker!"
Fleur laughed and kissed him on the cheek, "Thank you darling. Now let's get going."
It was a tedious process getting everyone to the train station on time, however it made Mrs. Weasley very happy, who considered family to be the most important thing in the world, and therefore everyone went along with it for her sake. By the time everyone was at the train station, it was 11 'o clock and the train was ready to be boarded.
"Come on then kids, I'll see you all at Christmas, remember to write letters!" Mrs. Weasley shouted over all the excited chatter of children going back to Hogwarts.
Everyone began hugging each other, some more reluctant than others.
"Hey, Teddy, Vic?" Ginny shouted, "Could you just keep an eye on Lily for me? I'm sure she'll be okay, but James and Fred can be a bit harsh sometimes y'know?"
"It'll be fine Ginny, she'll be fine!" Teddy smiled, hugging her "See you soon, I'll send an owl but I'll probably pop round sometime if that's okay?"
"Of course it is Teddy, you're always welcome." Ginny smiled, "Now be off, I don't want you missing the train!"
Teddy grabbed Lily's hand "Come on Lil, you ready for Hogwarts?"
She slowly nodded as Teddy helped her onto the train, the rest of the children followed, going into different carriages to find their friends, afterall, summer was over now and that meant they no longer socialised with each other. Victoire was about to get on the train was she was called back by her parents, "Victoire!" Bill shouted, and Victoire slowly walked towards her father "Mhm?"
"I hope you realise how important this year is Victoire, not many students get the chance to retake their final year. I'm expecting you'll study and put all your effort into this year, no time for parties and boys okay? I want nothing but good reports from you young lady or you'll be straight home!" Bill lectured.
"Yes dad, I've got to go now. I'll see you at Christmas okay?" sighed Victoire, already walking away from her father.
As Victoire got on the train she found the cabin that Teddy was in, and saw that he was joined by Lily and Dominique. She had expected Lily to be there, however at all her time in Hogwarts, she rarely saw her sister, and wondered why she felt the need to sit with her and Teddy on the train. Upon entering the carriage, Dominique got up, "I was just leaving, see you around Vic and you Teddy"
"Hey, Dominique, Richards, your friend who's always in trouble, what's her name again?" Victoire asked,
"Issy Richards, well Isabella but yeah, why?" Dominique replied.
"She has a little sister yeah? Going into first year?"
"Yeaah... What's your point?"
"Go introduce Lil to her, please?"
"Ugh... Fine." Dominique sighed, "Come on Lily, let's go introduce you to little Felicity."
"Thanks Domi!" grinned Teddy, who had already stretched his legs out where Lily had been sat.
As Dominique walked out the door, she kicked him "Stop calling me Domi!"
Once Lily and Dominique had left, Victoire shut the door and sat opposite Teddy, placing her bags on the seat next to her to ensure no first years would try and sit with them. The train rocked and then began moving, causing all the parents to smile and wave, whilst all the children stuck their heads out the train windows.
Mrs. Weasley's voice could be heard above all the shouting parents and children, "Have fun all of you!"
Teddy smiled and shut the window, but Victoire just sighed "I'm sure I will."
Teddy sat up "What's up?"
"Doesn't matter."
Teddy stood up and moved her bags to where he was sat, then sat down next to her. "That's not the right answer."
"It doesn't matter Teddy honestly."
"You never call me Teddy, what is it?" he poked her sides and she smiled a little "I won't give up!"
"It's just my dad, he thinks I should be getting amazing grades and is expecting me to study constantly but I can't Ted, I can't do all this. And now everything has happened with Louis and I'm expected to look after him and everyone else and I'm sick of it all." She got up and stood by the window, staring at the world outside going by. "Everyone expects me to do all this stuff, but they don't ask if it's what I want, and most of the time it isn't! My dad lectured me again before I got on the train and I can't put up with it anymore."
Teddy got up and stood behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "I know, Tori I know, but your dad just wants the best for you, and you do the best you can and what you want, and that will have to be good enough for him. He will get over it no matter what you do, and I'm sure everything with Louis will blow over, look he's probably with Scorpious now sorting it all out." Teddy sat down and pulled her so she was sat next to him. "Come here"
"Yeah I guess," Victoire sighed, cuddling into him as he wrapped his arm around her.
They spent the rest of the train journey in silence, until it was announced that they were almost at Hogsmeade and the students should change into their robes.
"I guess I need to get off soon." Teddy sighed, "George'll be waiting for me, he was going by floo powder later I think, he still won't travel by Hogwarts Express."
"Yeah I know, I'll see you soon though?" Victoire asked, sitting up.
"I'll send you an owl, but I'll probably sneak you out in a day or two?"
"Yeah whenever, I don't exactly have any friends at Hogwarts now... Hope setting up the shop goes well, I can't wait to see it at the next Hogsmeade visit!"
"Thanks Tori," he pulled her closer and pressed his lips on hers "I love you. Send me an owl later."
Victoire smiled, "I love you too, see you soon Lupin."
"I hate you."
"No you don't, now go. If you miss the stop George will kill you."
Teddy smiled and walked off, looking back at Victoire, before turning the corner to get off the train.
That evening at Hogwarts was pretty uneventful, Lily, much to the embarassment of her brothers, was sorted into Hufflepuff, where she would be very well looked after by Molly. All of the children had already got back into the routine of being at Hogwarts, and had begun catching up with their friends who they hadn't seen over summer. Victoire, however, felt more out of place than ever, since she was retaking her final year she was going to be put into a dorm of people that had been together for 6 years now, all of which she wouldn't know. Professor McGonagal, who had just finished her speech, instructed everyone to go to ther dormitories and began walking behind the crowd of students and shouted "Weasley can I have a word please?" All of the Weasley children nearby stopped and turned around, unsure if she was talking to them "Sorry, Victoire Weasley, I forget how many Weasleys there are here now."
Victoire turned around and walked slowly towards Professor McGonagall, who had a small, dark skinned girl stood next to her, "Miss Weasley, this is Miss Gugdeon and you are going to be in her dormitory this year. Emmeline could you please take Victoire to your dorm and introduce her to the rest of the girls?"
"Yes Miss." Emmeline replied quietly as Professor McGonagal walked off.
"Emmeline right?" Victoire asked,
"Yeah, but everyone calls me Emmy."
"Okay," Victoire smiled
"Victoire, that's French right? You go to Beuxbatons before?"
"I'm not new, did shocking last year so I'm retaking my final year. But yeah my name's French."
"Ah fair enough, didn't think people could retake at Hogwarts?" Emmy asked.
"Yeah, if you talk nicely to McGonagal. So what are the rest of the girls like in the dorm then?"
"They're pretty great. Maisie, Maisie Flint, is friendly, she's quite loud but gets on with anyone so I'm sure you'll be fine. There's 5 of us in total, 6 with you now. Me, you, Maisie, Allanis Toke - she doesn't speak much unless you know her but she's lovely, Tessie Stewart and Elizabeth Haworth. It's actually a dorm where everyone is friends, probably why McGonagal put you with us." Emmy explained.
"Sounds great," Victoire falsely smiled.
"This one here, first door of 7th Year dorms."
"I was in this dorm last year! This is the best one."
Emmy smiled, "That's good then, come on I'll introduce you to them all!"
Until early hours in the morning, Victoire, Emmy, Maisie, Allanis, Tessie and Elizabeth (who preferred to be called Lizzie) spoke about everything, and Victoire showed them all the loose floor boards and interesting things about the dorm that she had spent the past year in. Although she knew she was the outsider to the group, Victoire felt welcomed into their dorm and friendship. It was around 3am when they all decided they should probably sleep.
"Oh shit!" Victoire exclaimed.
"What's up?" Emmy asked
"I was supposed to write a letter, that's all, doesn't matter."
"Can't you send it now?" Lizzie asked.
"Yeah, it will be fine." smiled Victoire, and she began writing a letter to Teddy.
'Theodore, sorry this letter is so late, I've been talking to the other girls in my dorm, there's 5 of them and they're all lovely. I thought not knowing anyone would be horrible, but they are all very welcoming. Hope everything with the shop is going well and I hope to see you soon, I'm in the same dorm as last year so it should be easy for you to get in. Tori x '
"For such an urgent letter you didn't write much, you don't have an owl anyway do you?" Maisie said.
"All my family owls love me, one'll be waiting outside." Victoire explained, and as she opened the window two owls flew in. "Meet Zelda and Hedwig 2"
"Who's owls are they?" laughed Allanis, "and why are they following you around?"
"Zelda is my brother's and Hedwig 2 is my cousin's!" replied Victoire, tying the letter around Zelda's leg.
"How much family do you have here?" asked Maisie
"Maisie is an only child and muggleborn; she doesn't understand big families" laughed Lizzie, "I'm pureblood and I have 5 cousins here!"
"Oh I have, erm quite a big family... Wait let me count how many are at Hogwarts." Victoire ran the names through her head, counting on her fingers as she went by "I have 7 cousins here and a brother and sister."
"Okay that's loads, I don't even have that many cousins! Are they all in Gryffindor?" asked Maisie
"Fred, James and Albus are in Gryffindor, Albus is 2nd year and Fred and James are 3rd. Lily is 1st year and she's in Hufflepuff, and so is Molly but she's like 5th year I think, she might be 6th I don't even know. Then there's Rose who's 3rd year, and Louis who's my brother he's 4th year, they're both Slytherin. Oh and Dominique my sister who is the only Ravenclaw of the family, she's 6th year."
"Your family is massive!" Maisie shouted
"Wait you're a Weasley right?" Emmy asked
"Yeah?" Victoire replied, being associated with her family was never a good thing.
"So you're related to Harry Potter? And Ron and Hermione?" Emmy shouted
"Erm yeah, Aunt and Uncles." Victoire smiled, she hated being connected to 'The Golden Trio'.
"That's so cool!" Emmy said, not realising how irritated Victoire was getting.
"Yeah, I guess. Anyway I'm gonna sleep now, night guys." Victoire smiled, rolling over on her bed so she was no longer facing the rest of the girls, who had all begun to get into their beds too. 10 minutes later there was finally silence in the dormitory.