Back to Hogwarts
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On September 1st, Victoire met her parents at the Shell Cottage in the early morning. She had just got back from her grand-mother's and only had a few hours before Louis, Dominique and she needed to be at Kings' Cross station.
It had come as a complete surprise to her parents when she had asked to extend her stay in France until the very last day of the holiday. But given that they had been the one to send her to France in the first place, they couldn't really say no. And today Victoire was finally home, but only long enough for her to pack her suitcase for Hogwarts. Thankfully her mom had bought all her new books and potion's ingredients when she went to Diagon Alley to buy Dominique's and Louis' stuff. Victoire really just had her clothes to pack. So when she flooed in through the fireplace with her luggage from France, her whole family was standing in the middle of the living room, waiting. As soon as she stepped out of the fireplace, her parents hugged her, locking her in a tight embrace.
"Victoire, mon coeur, how we've mized you!" Fleur said, her head pressed against Victoire's.
"I've missed you too maman," Victoire said, wrapping one arm around her mom.
Dominique and Louis joined in in the family hug before everyone let go. Only then did they have a proper look at Victoire and the four of them froze. Victoire's hair had grown from shoulder length to her hips and had changed from a golden blond to a silverish one. Her skin looked paler, as white as porcelain and the few freckles she had on her nose were gone. Her eyes looked even bluer, her lips fuller and her body was a perfect hourglass shaped woman's body.
Fleur was the first one to get over her surprise. After all, she knew what coming into her Veela meant.
"You look beautiful Victoire," she said, taking her husband's hand.
Bill looked like he was listening to a mandragora concert, his face had turned green and he was frowning heavily. He had always been very protective of all his children and like every father, he wanted them to stay children as long as possible. But looking at his firstborn, he had to realize that she was no longer a kid, but a full grown woman. However, the consequences of such a change were too numerous for him to address them all right now. The reassuring contact of his wife brought him back to reality.
"I'll take your luggage upstairs," was all he managed to say before doing exactly that.
Victoire didn't miss how he had looked at her. She exchanged a worried look with her mom. Fleur smiled sorrowfully.
"Wow Victoire, you look … different," Dominique said cheerfully "Guys are gonna be all over you," she added.
Victoire smiled at her sister's attempt to lighten the mood.
"As if they weren't before, " she said, finally. Her voice had changed a bit as well, turning a bit deeper.
Dominique moved toward the staircase.
"Come, I'm going to help you pack. We have to leave in an hour so we better be quick," she said.
Victoire nodded her agreement and followed her little sister to her room. Her dad wasn't in there, but her luggage lay on the carpet, ready to be unpacked, next to her Hogwarts suitcase, which was ready to be packed. Victoire closed the door and kneeled next to the two huge bags she had taken to France. Dominique sat next to her, helping Victoire go through her stuff.
"So," she began "how did this happen?"
"How did what happen?" Victoire asked.
"Don't play dumb. How did you go from the beautiful teenage girl to the perfect femme fatale?"
Dominique wasn't looking at Victoire, but she was smiling while unfolding Victoire's summer clothes.
"It just happened. Not overnight or anything, but as I learned how to control my Veela power, my hair grew longer and such. Mostly when I started to master my enthralling power. I guess it's part of the Veela allure," Victoire explained.
Dominique didn't say anything for a moment and finally asked,
"Will it happen to me as well?" her voice was equal as if she didn't care about the answer.
"Mamie said that every Veela was affected differently, especially half-bloods. She was actually surprised I changed so much since I'm only eighth Veela. She said that maybe it had to do with papa's werewolf side effects. Something about wild magic having more effect on us." Victoire said to her sister. "But I think that you will be affected as strongly as me, yes. My guess is as good as yours though."
Dominique didn't reply and carried on sorting the clothes from the bags.
"What mamie is most curious about is what will happen to Louis. He's the only known male Veela, so she doesn't know if he will have any Veela power at all, just the fire one or if his enthralling power will only work on men." Victoire offered.
The thoughts of boys falling head over heels for her brother made Dominique laugh and her tensed shoulder relaxed.
"Just picture him with long silver hair falling down to his butt,"
"I hope he won't grow boobs,"
Dominique's laughter exploded in the room and finally all previous tension was gone. Victoire was grateful to her sister for being such a light-hearted spirit.
The girls soon finished unpacking and re-packing Victoire's stuff and Victoire left to take a quick shower before they had to leave.
At exactly 10 o'clock, the whole family once again gathered in the leaving room, ready to use the floo powder system to get to the London train station.
Victoire and her parents didn't have time to talk much more and in a way Victoire was relieved. She didn't want her parents to figure out how much she had truly changed. Her physical aspect was one thing. But they weren't ready to see how much she had changed mentally, especially not her dad.
As the 5 of them stepped in turn into the fireplace, Victoire felt a chill running down her spine. She had only been back for an hour, but Victoire was glad to leave this place she felt she could no longer call home.
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Teddy had been waiting for half an hour next to the entrance of platform 9¾. He was watching the students and their families appear through the magical gate and make their way toward the Hogwarts express. He had wanted to meet Victoire directly at Shell Cottage earlier this morning but Dominique had more or less forbidden him to come. He had decided to do the next best thing, wait for Victoire here and greet her as soon as she came onto platform 9¾.
Teddy was a bit stressed about seeing her again after everything that had happened during the summer. He was also very confused as to why she hadn't responded to any of his letters. At first, he thought she had been angry because he hadn't come to see her off when she had left, but after apologizing again and again in his letter and still getting no answers, he was afraid something more important was going on.
He looked at the giant clock on the wall. It was 10.40. The Weasley had better get here fast or else Dominique, Louis, and Victoire would miss the train. He had already seen Harry, Ginny, Lilly, and Albus who were accompanying James for the first time. They had come early and he had spent some time with them. The young boy had been very excited and had been jumping up and down until his parents finally let him get on the train, almost an hour before the actual departure. Teddy had then moved and placed himself next to the magical entrance.
After waiting for so long he finally caught a glimpse of blond silvery hair and here she was, next to Dominique and her mom, Bill and Louis following straight after them. He didn't waist a second and ran toward Victoire before pulling her into an intense embrace.
"Vic! I'm so happy to see you!" he said while squeezing her in his arms. Victoire let him, but she didn't return the embrace. Teddy didn't notice, however.
"Hello Teddy," Victoire said nicely. She didn't want to make a scene in front of her parents, so she would behave and act normal until she was on the train. Then, all hell would break loose.
Teddy pushed back slightly to look her in the eyes. He didn't seem disturbed by their new bluer tint, nor by any other physical changes.
"I've missed you so much, Vic! Did you receive my letters? I never got any reply from you," he said, with his hand still holding Victoire by the shoulders. At his words, Fleur and Bill shifted, surprised. Victoire shot an annoyed look at Teddy. It would be difficult to make her parents believe everything was fine if he started talking to much.
"No, I didn't get any letters from you. You must have sent them to wrong address," she said, trying to sound cool. Luckily it seemed to work for her parents since they turned to concentrate on their younger child, Louis, who was asking if he could go on the train and leave them already.
"Oh, I guess that explains why I didn't get anything from you then." Teddy joked and placed himself next to Victoire, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll tell you everything that was in the letters once we're on the train!"
"Don't you have to go seat in the prefect's wagon?" Victoire asked him. When she saw the questioning look he gave her, she added "Dominique told me you were appointed Head Boy. Congrats," she was still trying to sound normal and happy, but Teddy's strange expression told her she was failing miserably.
"Yeah, I'll have to swing by the prefect's wagon at some point, but first we have to catch up," he explained softly. He knew something was wrong and he was trying to calm Victoire down and reassure her like he used to do before.
Victoire had a bad feeling growing inside her. She didn't like playing the nice girl, she actually wanted to push Teddy's arm away from her and tell him to stop touching her and stay away. She needed to get on the train quickly so she could stop this masquerade.
"We probably should get on the train now, or else we won't find any space, " Dominque said like she was sent by the angel. Victoire nodded in agreement and Teddy finally let go of her so she could kiss her parents goodbye.
Without her asking anything, Teddy grabbed her suitcase and carried it inside the train. He went straight for an empty wagon where his own suitcase was already waiting. Louis and Dominique excused themselves and went farther inside the train, looking for their own friends. Dominique still cast a killing look toward Teddy before disappearing.
Victoire went to sit down next to the window, Teddy choosing the seat across from her. She was looking through the window at the friends and families kissing and hugging each other. Teddy let his gaze wander over her, taking her in properly this time. His breath was caught in his throat. He hadn't said anything in front of Bill and Fleur and he probably wouldn't say anything to Victoire directly but, Merlin did she change. Her hair, eyes, and figure were mesmerizing, she was simply the most beautiful and captivating person he had ever seen and she wasn't even trying. She wasn't wearing any make-up and her clothes were simple but for some reasons, she looked more like a Veela than her own mother did, even though she was only eighth Veela. Teddy swallowed embarrassed. She must have known he was checking her out, like a horny teenager. He tried to distract himself by talking to her.
"So, in my first few letters I was mainly saying how sorry I was for showing up too late the day you left, I'm actually still …."
"You don't have to tell me what you wrote in the letter, Teddy. I lied, I did get them," Victoire interrupted him, still not looking at him. If her voice had sounded distant when they were outside of the train, it was now icy cold and Teddy was taken aback.
"But, … if you received them, why didn't you answer me?" he asked, his stomach twisting.
Victoire took her time responding as if she didn't really know what to say.
"I didn't have anything to say to you," she murmured "In fact, I still don't," she concluded, turning around and finally meeting Teddy's eyes.
The anger and bitterness he saw in those huge blue eyes made him shiver. He had never seen Victoire this angry before.
"Vic …" he tried, in his most gentle voice.
"No." she cut him. "I don't have anything to say to you. So why don't you go to your prefect wagon and run back to Alice," she spitted. Coincidentally Alice had been picked as a Ravenclaw prefect during hers and Victoire's fifth year, therefore, she was also supposed to travel in the prefect's wagon.
Teddy looked hurt and Victoire couldn't help but feel a tad guilty. Even though he had hurt her very badly, she still didn't like seeing that pained expression on his face.
"Victoire, are you mad because of Alice?" he asked, his voice still gentle. He was making a good effort at keeping his pain at bay.
As if on cue, Alice entered the wagon followed by Nathan and Jason.
When you speak of the devil, Victoire thought.
"Victoire!" Alice screamed before diving on her friend and hugging her. Just like with Teddy, Victoire didn't return the embrace.
Teddy was now standing up to allow Alice, who was mid-way between standing and kneeling, more room.
"Oh Victoire, I've missed you so much! You won't believe what happened this summer!" she let go of Victoire and straightened. Her expression switched from delighted to horrified for a couple of seconds when she saw Victoire's transformation, but her big smiled returned on her face almost immediately, even if it didn't look as sincere as before.
"Wow, I don't know what they were feeding you in France, but can I have some please?" she said as a poor attempt at a joke. But Alice stepped closer to Teddy while saying that and she cast him a worried glance as if to check how he was reacting to Victoire. Teddy grabbed Alice's hand very naturally and Victoire thought she was going to be sick. She didn't like having the other towering over her so she stood up as well, and tried to make herself look tall.
"So you two are dating now," she looked at Teddy. "At first I thought it was just to get back at me, but you're actually together." She couldn't hide the pain and the disgust in her voice.
Alice flinched, only now realizing that Victoire was angry at her and Teddy.
"What do you mean get back at you?" Teddy asked, his voice still gentle. He was talking to her like you would talk to a mentally deranged person.
"Because of what happened with Nathan," she simply said, convinced he knew what she was talking about.
Teddy turned around immediately and looked at Nathan, who, along with Jason, was standing next to the door of the wagon. He was looking very uncomfortable and had his gaze fixed on Victoire.
Victoire pushed past Teddy and Alice, to get closer to the door.
"Oh, he didn't tell you?" she asked, enjoying this new development. "Interesting," her voice was low and dripping with sarcasm.
"Victoire, please …" Nathan murmured, looking at her, alarmed.
Teddy had let go of Alice's hand and was getting closer to Victoire, Nathan, and Jason.
Victoire shrugged, took her suitcase and opened the door, forcing Nathan and Jason to move to let her through.
"Well, if he didn't say anything, neither will I, " she said and exited the wagon with her suitcase. Before the door could close, she turned around a last time and looked at what used to be her friends. Jason didn't seem to understand what was going on, in fact, his eyes looked a bit glazed, an expression Victoire knew was due to her Veela allure.
Nathan was looking at her sorrowfully. He obviously wanted to talk to her but didn't dare move because of Teddy.
Alice's face was showing many emotions. Surprise, sadness, jealousy, envy, anger, relief. If those emotions were anything to go by, Victoire had to wonder if Alice had ever truly been her friend or if she had always been jealous of her.
Finally Teddy's face was contorted by fear, extreme pain and also some anger. The latest probably had to do with Victoire last comment about her and Nathan. She knew Teddy would be coming after her as soon as she started walking, but she was counting on either Alice or Nathan to stop him.
As she turned around, she heard him calling her name. But it was too late. She wouldn't let him hurt her again.
The train had started moving, so Victoire had some difficulties walking and pulling her suitcase at the same time, but she managed to reach a wagon which looked empty except for one person. When she opened the door, she was surprised to find Freya Brownwood sitting alone. She hesitated for a second before shrugging. Sharing a wagon with Freya couldn't be that bad. If everything else failed, she could just ignore the bitch until they arrived at Hogwarts.
She put her suitcase in one of the baggage compartment and sat down. She could feel the other witch looking at her. Freya Brownwood was the same age as Victoire and was part of Slytherin House. She had long straight black hair, with some hint of violet in them. Her eyes were slate-grey and her skin almost as pale as Victoire's. She was tall and leggy. Victoire knew Freya was considered to be one of the most beautiful girls at Hogwarts, which could explain why Teddy had dated her for a while. She also proved to the perfect Slytherin cliché, she loved breaking rules, had a big mouth and a certain sense of superiority.
"Not with your usual crowd today Weasley?" Freya asked after a couple of minutes. She wasn't even looking at Victoire but at a book on her lap.
"I wanted to spend some time alone, but there you are," Victoire answered flatly.
"You can always leave if you don't like the company,"
Victoire didn't answer because she didn't want to leave. Freya wasn't really bothering her yet.
A few hours went by, without any of them speaking and Hogwarts was getting closer. Both girls started changing into their wizard's robes silently.
"You look different," Freya said, when she sat back down, looking at Victoire curiously.
"Yeah, yeah I know, one point for captain obvious over there," Victoire said sarcastically.
Unexpectedly, Freya laughed.
"You've become bitchy Weasley," she said with a smile.
"Well I guess we finally have something in common then," Victoire said, ending the conversation. She could feel a small smile spreading on her face as well. Funny how the girl she hated could bring her to smile, when her own friends only made her want to kill someone.
Here is a little index for the french words I've used (I'm french you can trust me on the translation):
maman - mum
mamie - gran (grandmother)
ma chérie - my sweatheart
mon coeur - my love
