CH2 A New Direction
"Good Morning All, I hope we are all rested and ready for work…" started Ron, he always liked a good joke and finally seen a chance at revenge on Teddy.
"Get on with it Weasley!" called one of the snr aurors from the back of the room.
"Well yes ah er… " spluttered Ron, before regaining his composure, "the reason I have called you here this morning is a issue has been raised by a parent, no less" Teddy was now trying to sink further into his chair, "of a student from Hogwarts of one of our ranks fraternising with the students on the Hogwarts Express. As I am sure you are all aware we are the elite of the e…"
"Jealous are we Weasley?" called out another auror from the back
"Ah Er" spluttered Ron again
"I am sure our Young Cassanova can see if she has an older sister for you Weasley" taunted another from the back.
"She is my Niece you ah…" blasted Ron, who face was now bright red.
"And yes I am sure everyone would love to know you asked her mother to the Yule Ball in our fourth year at Hogwarts" interjected Harry as he entered the room.
"Ah" was all Ron could get out
"You did what with Vi's mum?" Blurted out Teddy. As the room burst out into howls of ruckus laughter.
"Good one Teddy now they all now it was you Ron was talking about" Harry said slapping Teddy on the back as he walked past.
"Well at least they are all goading Ron at the moment," Teddy exclaimed forgetting his own embarrassment of mere seconds ago, "look at Ron's face, he really can go redder than his own hair."
"Just you wait Hermione is not going to forgive me for this one every time I let Ron make a fool of himself in the office it is my fault, I guess you are my defence. I hope it works this time" Harry chuckled walking off to his own office to wade through his mountain off paper work.
Victoire's eyes were red raw and dry, she could not cry anymore. She had not left the seventh years girl's dorm in the Gryffindor Tower since she ran out of the Great Hall at breakfast, having received Teddy's letter telling her he could not make it to Hogsmeade next weekend. While she was disappointed that he would not be there, what hurt was he had known for more than a month and not bothered to tell her, he had written to her before but at the time they just seem like normal boy letters nothing overly flowery. Just hi, hows everything going, I miss you, hows school, training is good, how is quidditch, hope to see you soon… a standard boy letter, but the more she thought on it now more she noticed the tone had been sadder in the latter letters, he had been struggling on how to tell her. Her heart broke again she had been hurting all day and angry at Teddy about not coming to see her next weekend when she shouldn't have been it was not his fault, it was his second last set of exams, ever since Victoire could remember Teddy wanted to be an Auror like his mother and his godfather he idolised his godfather, Harry was his hero. Victoire knew Teddy would go to the ends of the earth for two reasons, to pay back what Harry had done for him and his Grandmother and for her, well this morning she doubted the second but her resolve was slowly returning to her.
Now Victoire was just furious at her father, how dare he do and think what he did about the boy, no man she loved. She had always loved him, it just took him longer to realise he felt the same about her, longer than she would have liked but he was a boy. How could her father judge Teddy on his father being a werewolf. He had know Remus and had know Teddy since he was born. Teddy had never appeared to suffer from any of the effects of his fathers curse. In fact neither had she herself as her father himself suffered somewhat from the curse, not as bad as Remus but he did suffer. Could this have been his reasoning, maybe, no it did not matter her father should have known better that to judge Teddy for that, there was nothing wrong with Teddy was the most popular boy in school when he was there, Gryffindor Quidditch Captain and the best seeker Gryffindor had, had since both her aunt and uncle, he had, had offers to play by no less than five pro teams, but had chosen follow the same path as his godfather, he had chosen a noble path… and with that thought steeling herself taking a deep breathe, and by no means least he was her boyfriend.
Finally feeling a bit more like herself she was snapped back to the real world by a faint knock at the door, a a small creek as two heads popped through the gap. "Hey Viccy, its Sarah and Hailey… can we come in?" whispered Hailey.
"Sure," Victoire hoarsely replied, she had not spoken all day. "What time is it?" It was as if on cue her stomach rumbled loud enough for all three girls to hear.
"After dinner, Viccy, sorry" sighed Sarah " though, we have something for you, well it is from your cousin. I don't know if he is brave or thick, he was going to duel a couple of seventh years in order to save this for you and then he wanted to deliver it himself. Before we told him after all his effort he would wear it first."
"Does he have a crush on you Viccy?" joked Hailey
"Nah, let me guess was it was James?" both girls slyly nodded, "he hero worships Teddy. For him the idea that Teddy finding out he valiantly defended my honour is all he wants. Besides I know who he has a crush on." Winking at Hailey.
"EWWWW GROSS!!" Gasped Hailey whipping her hands over her mouth, as the other two girls fell off the bed in laughter. "He is only a second year."
"Well he isn't ugly…" Sarah said with a wry smile, causing the two girls to gasp in shock, "and besides, did you see his dad at the station, he is hot!"
"EWWWWW Double GROSS!!" chimed Victoire "He is my uncle, plus he is old," this sent the girls all into another fit of laughter. "Well now that two have got me smiling again I am starved, what did James rescue for me?"
"Just this…" Sarah pulled out a treacle tart, "I'm afraid, a Maple Treacle Tart."
"Oh…" sighed Victoire "that's Teddy's favourite."
"Oh, Viccy…"
"No give it here, if I can't have him next week. I'll have his food." She chuckled eating with more gusto than her friends had ever seen before.
"Save us some Vic." Protested both girls.
"James got Teddy's favourite desert just for me" said Victoire with a impish grin as she stuck her tongue out at her friends.
"Ready to go Teddy?"
"Sure thing Harry." Chimed Teddy standing up from his cubicle as Harry had exited his own office. "Where to this weekend?"
"Home"
"Wha…" gaped Teddy.
"Well, first off I want some dinner and my lovely wife's company, plus there is a little nine year old firebrand complaining she never gets to she her favourite Auror, and Merlin help me if she does not get what she wants. After she is in bed it will be off to Berneray for us. I hope you are hungry I think Ginny has cooked up a feast for you. For some reason she seems to think I starve you on these training weekends."
"Harry if I did not know any better I would be siding with Ginny on that one."
After weeks of training, some of which in places Teddy could not understand, and this was one of those times, but even more so. They had spent the entire weekend on an isle off the west coast of Scotland with Teddy practicing his tracking, but not with the use of any charms he had ever been taught this was more a muggle form of tracking by using his physical senses. This was something Teddy had really excelled at right from the beginning, although there were charms one could use to heighten the senses, Teddy found he really if ever needed to use them in fact the times he had used them he found they had been more of a hindrance than any help.
It was now there final morning on the bone chilling isle, at four in the morning it was still pitch black, as was the case at every training weekend they travelled light, actually light was not the word for it. They carried just enough freeze-dried muggle military rations for two days, the clothes on their backs and their wands. Teddy could not stand the food but he new its use, it was energy nothing more when you are out on a mission you need energy not a full 'Molly Weasley Feast'. While forcing down his rehydrated stew if you could call it that Teddy chuckled silently to himself, how ever did his godfather's best friend and fellow auror survive fieldwork.
"So Teddy…" Harry started while looking despondently into his own sachet of food, "I guess you are still wondering what all this extra training I have been doing with you is in aid of?" Harry paused waiting for some sort of response, Teddy just nodded. "I am sure Gawain has told you that with the way you have performed through your exams we have decided to fastrack you through the final stages." At this statement Teddy looked up wide eyed. "No ok well, we, no I have. Since you have passed all of your exams with flying colours, even out performed me on some occasions and no I will not tell you which. Your final practical exam is scheduled for three weeks time, it will start on Friday evening and you will have until midnight to apprehend your quary. You will only be able to take the minimum you need to survive, you must ascertain, track and catch your prey with the least disruption to the environment surrounding you if possible. Any Questions?" Teddy just shook his head, and Harry paused to regroup himself. "I want you to have a break over the next couple of week though," with that statement Teddy's eyes lit up, Hogsmeade was in two weeks hopefully he could do something to make it up to Victoire for missing the last one, "because I have planned a practice for you the weekend before." Teddy's stomach lurched, just has Teddy opened his mouth, Harry was not sure if it was to complain or throw up. "Ah and before you protest about it being unfair, don't worry your prac is outside Hogsmeade on the Sunday, and I have arranged a room at the Hogs Head for you with Aberforth for the weekend. So you get to see Victoire for the whole day on Saturday."
Teddy could not believe it he was floating on cloud nine, he was going to be in Hogsmeade in under two weeks and get to see Victoire again, since they started seeing going out this had been the longest they had gone without seeing each other. Popping Teddy's bubble with a cough. "There are a couple of rules you can not take her up to your room, Bill would skin us both for that and if I do not have a happy niece at Christmas Dinner…" Harry paused for dramatic effect, " remember who assigns jobs back in the office, I will have you chasing every dungbomb happy twelve year old witch and wizard across the whole of Great Britain." Teddy's lip began to curl. "And don't think I won't!" Harry retorted with a laugh.
In a more jovial and lighter mood than he had been for the last month Teddy turned towards Harry, "I know its purpose, but Harry please can we go somewhere and get some real food, rather than this…" Teddy paused as the pair looked to each other. They had just heard the sound of a foot crunching the freshly fallen snow, lifting his head towards the sky while cocking it slightly to one side Teddy breathed in deeply through is nose.
"How many, distance and where from?" Harry questioned looking at to Teddy.
"One, I would say 60 yards, behind me and … and it's Bill" Teddy stated resolutely, as he raised from his squat pulling the hood of he cloak over his head and turned leaping up into the lower branches of the fur tree that had camped next to for shelter. Harry was not sure if his last action was because Teddy still felt betrayed by Victoire's father or if he was following his auror training either way Teddy did not want Bill to see him. So Harry got comfortable and waited for Bill to arrive, this took a fair few minutes as the snowfall from the night before was quite heavy.
Teddy squatted motionless in the branches above Harry looking down. Bill was no threat, he was in fact Victoire's father but Teddy was still angry with Bill for what he had implied about Teddy's own father. A man who had indeed been Bill's friend. He pulled his cloak tighter around himself, as if by magic one of the cloaks silver threads glinted in the scarce winter light, this cloak was one of Teddy's most prized possessions. This cloak had history, Victoire had given it to Teddy the first Christmas they had officially been an item, however it did not end there it had belonged to Victoire's grandfather when he was Teddy's age and in fact been in the Delacoure Family for generations. To the everday witch or wizard it look to be a heavy travelling cloak nothing really that special, but that could not have been further from the truth not only would it keep the wearer warm in the coldest winter or cool on the hottest day, when the wearer desired it could conceal them in plain sight. Unlike Harry's invisibility cloak with which you completely disappeared from view this cloak just tricked the mind into thinking there was nothing there.
"Morning Bill," Harry called without looking up as Bill round the last tree coming into view, Bill just froze.
"How did you know it was me?" Bill asked quizzically.
"We've known for a while you were here."
"We? Is Teddy here?"
"Yes Teddy's around, he let you know if he wants you too."
"I could say you have taught him to well Harry."
"Not really Bill it is his own talent and gifts…" Harry paused to allow his last statement to sink in, " what can I do for you Bill? I dare say you did not come to seek us out on an island ravaged by the Atlantic for a social call. Or have you come seeking one of us in particular?"
"Well, er yes, I …"
"Bill as I said, Teddy is around and I can tell you for sure he is listening."
"Thanks Harry, as I am sure you are aware I have been doing a lot of soul searching. Spurred on by a few very angry witches I might add…"
"I have to say I think you got off lightly when I saw Ginny's reaction, and I now your mother would have been the same."
"Yes well, worse actually. Not to mention Victoire, she still has not spoken to me and Fleur, her mother as well as Andromeda. I am surprised I am still in one piece. Fleur was going to kick me out until I saw sense and Mum wouldn't let me move back to the Burrow." Bill said with a sad chuckle.
"Well that is true, I have to say as you know I have seen and suffered some of the darkest acts that a man can endure, and when Remus and Tonks put Teddy in my charge I swore I would protect him from the pain and suffering both his father and I had suffered at the hands of close minded people. So you are lucky I had taken an oath when I became an auror," with that open statement Bill stepped back in sudden realisation, " because part of me wanted to do things to you that would have left you begging for the dementor's kiss." Bill gasped dropping to his knees. "Bill relax." Harry's lip starting to curl into a smile, "did I ever tell you the most important lesson Sirius taught me?"
"No"
All of a sudden Bill could have sworn he felt the earth shake, lunging forward towards Harry while reaching into his robes for his wand and twisting to look behind him, nothing.
"Relax" Harry said in a calm soothing tone, placing his hand onto his brother-in-law's shoulder.
"What the…" stammered Bill, in shock at the vision that seem to fade into existence out of thin air.
"Remember I told you he would show himself to you if he chose to."
Teddy had landed mere inches behind Bill, standing up tall and proud as he removed the hood of is cloak. Bill noticed while this was Teddy it was not the same Teddy that that got him into a lot of trouble with every woman in his family. He was not the turquoise haired teenage boy who his daughter cooed after, he was different his hair was an Ashen Silver Blonde, it was that of Teddy's father and his eyes they too were different not their usual warm soulful pale grey, they where black as the night and a blaze with something that disturbed Bill to his core. However, just has Bill had noticed that feeling on looking into Teddy's eyes they changed back into that same soulful grey Bill had remembered.
"The world isn't split into good people and Death Eaters we all have light and dark inside of us, what matters is the part we choose to act on." Recited Teddy in an almost whisper that chilled Bill to the bone. Pushing his fingers through his hair roughing it up making it go his usual shocking turquoise. "That and live life to the full, enjoy yourself and don't get yourself locked up in a house, it's no fun."
"To true," chimed Harry, pushing Bill to his feet and stepping past him to slap Teddy on the shoulder. "Didn't I tell you, that is not a way to impress a future father-in-law" causing Teddy to blush all the way to the tips of his hair, "beside you almost gave Bill a heart attack." Harry turned back to Bill and all three started to laugh. After a few minutes Harry looked to Bill, "Bill you where saying?"
"Ah, Er yeah. As I said I have been doing some soul searching, Teddy I am sorry for everything that I said to you I was wrong. I hope you can understand it was a foolish father's worry for his daughter's safety and happiness?"
"I do, sir. I hope you know I would be willing give myself in order to protect Vi?"
"Teddy I have always known that, in fact I have known that about you since you were at least three. You have always given your all to my baby girl. Which is why I have really come here Teddy, do you remember that you told me that you even one day saw yourself asking Victoire to marry you?" Teddy nodded. " Teddy as Victoire's father if you still wish to do that I give you my consent." Teddy's eyes brightened, as he looked from Bill and back to Harry. "Just please, take your time about things. Don't go head long into it like my sister and your godfather did," It was Harry's turn to blush, as Teddy went to open his mouth to claim his love for Victoire, "I know you love her Teddy. All I ask is that you both enjoy your youth."
"Well I guess that is going to be it for training, I can see your focus is going to some where else Teddy…." Harry joked. "I am sure you have somethings to sort out over the next fortnight, but Teddy remember what I told you. Now go."
"Thanks Harry…" turning to Bill smiling, "tell Ginny and Lily I will see them at dinner, Bill you and Fleur will come too won't you?" Teddy then apprarated on the spot. He had a lot to organise over the next two weeks in order to make sure Victoire was going to come to Hogsmeade. Though he wanted it to be special.
"Fortnight?" Bill looked at Harry quizzically. "What is going on Harry?"
"You mean apart from Teddy's prep for his final exams?" Harry smiled impishly at his brother-in-law.
"Yes Harry, isn't that the Hogsmeade weekend before Victoire comes home, for Chirstmas?"
"Ah well yes it is that too, Gawain is going to be holding Teddy's prep near Hogsmeade, Teddy will be staying at the Hogs Head for the weekend and before you stress I have told him no visitors to his room" Harry winked, " and Abeforth will be keeping an eye on everything for me."