And I've lost who I am, and I can't understand
Why my heart is so broken, rejecting your love
Without, love gone wrong, lifeless words carry on
-Trading Yesterday
Victoire stood on the outskirts of town, staring at the beautiful palace she had once called home. Behind the iron gates, students in silky blue uniforms were flocking into carriages, ready to be taken home for the summer. Victoire, on the other hand, was standing in the middle of the empty street with her family, her bags in her hands.
"Come on, Vic, let's go!" Bill shouted. Victoire turned around. Her parents were already climbing onto the Knight Bus. Sighing, she trudged toward the giant blue bus in front of her.
An older man around her father's age with protruding ears and quite a few pimples helped her with her bags. "Thanks," she murmured before taking the seat beside Louis. He glanced up at her with a sympathetic smile.
"You'll be fine," he whispered. She smiled at her little brother. The truth was that no matter how annoying her younger siblings were, she could never stay angry with them for longer than five minutes. They were the only constants in her life, the only ones that had stuck beside her through everything. She wasn't sure how she could last an entire year without them. They were the only ones that could bring a ghost of a smile on her face, even on a day like that one.
"I know," she told him confidently. She turned back around, staring out the window. She knew it would be the last time she saw the majestic castle again, and she planned on carving every detail of it into her brain. While she hated Beauxbaton Academy at times, she had to admit that it had gotten her through quite a bit in the past year. She didn't know how she could've survived without that place. It was home.
"I don't understand why we couldn't go home with our friends," Dominique complained.
Fleur, who had been in a sour mood since she arrived, glared at her daughter furiously. Dominique flinched, knowing when to test her mother's patience.
"Isn't this nice?" Bill said cheerfully, completely unaware of the frostiness in his wife's voice or his children's moods. "The whole family back together again!"
"I'm absolutely giddy with joy," Victoire muttered.
"And what's even better? Harry and I were able to sweet talk the headmaster into letting Vic back into Hogwarts!" he added in hopes to ignite a response from his family.
Fleur's eyes widened just as the Knight Bus lurched forward. Victoire held Louis back in his seat before he was sent flying across the bus. "Oh, really, Bill!" Fleur squealed, looking absolutely delighted.
"He remembered what a good student Vic was before. Plus, Harry offered to come in and lecture at the school a few times...I think that really helped butter him up..."
Fleur beamed, turning to look at her oldest daughter. "You remember to thank your uncle Harry now! Oh, he is always saving us. Did I ever tell you about the time he saved Aunt Gabrielle?"
"Only a hundred times," Victoire said under her breath.
Bill frowned. "Vic, aren't you excited? You used to love Hogwarts."
"Things change."
"Well, you'll get to see all your old friends...like Teddy, Skylar, Grace...don't you miss them?" Bill questioned, hoping to trigger some form of excitement within his daughter.
"Nope," Victoire said flatly.
"Enough!" Fleur said abruptly, her face reddening. "You will thank your uncle Harry and that's the end of it. Do you understand, Victoire?"
Victoire struggled to bite back her retort. "Fine."
Bill sighed. "Vic, tonight your grandmother is throwing you a welcome back party. She's spent the whole day cooking and decorating for you, so if I hear one single snide remark, I swear on Godric's grave that-"
The Knight Bus lurched forward, and the five of them flew out of their seats. Victoire helped Dominique back up, and she turned to her father. "Dad, I don't want a party."
"I frankly don't give a rat's arse what you want," Bill snarled. "Your grandmother has put a lot of effort into it, and you will be happy and grateful tonight. If that attitude comes out at the party, I can promise you that you'll-"
"Bill!" Fleur hissed. Bill glanced in the direction that Fleur was staring and he noticed the conductor staring at them.
"Is there a problem, Stan?" Bill asked him rather rudely.
Stan turned a bright shade of pink. "Sorry, Bill."
Dominique glanced at her dad. "Do you know him?" she asked.
"He's a friend of your uncle Harry's."
Louis grinned widely. "Does Uncle Harry know everybody?"
Bill smiled. "Pretty much."
Victoire stared out the window miserably, watching the cities and towns blur past. A sudden anxious feeling was bubbling inside her stomach. She wondered if Teddy would be at the party tonight. What would she say to him? Would he even care that she was back?
Teddy tugged at his shirt collar nervously. Ron and Harry were talking to him, but Teddy's mind was far from their conversation. Any minute now, Victoire would be walking through the front door...
"I'm just saying," Ron said, "I totally saved your arse out there yesterday."
Harry scoffed. "Please, the minute you saw that spider -"
"It was a big spider," Ron said defensively.
Teddy grinned. "You faced the darkest wizard of all time, fought against hundreds of death eaters, destroyed horcruxes...yet you scream at the sight of a tiny spider?"
Ron glared at him. "It was not tiny."
Harry sighed, shaking his head. "It's his one weakness."
Teddy laughed. Ron punched Harry.
"Excuse me," said a soft voice. Teddy turned around to find Skylar Grey, a tall and beautiful girl with wavy blonde hair and big brown eyes standing beside him. She took his arm. "Sorry, Ron, Harry, but I need to borrow Teddy for a minute."
Teddy waved to the others as Skylar dragged him away. "What's going on, Skye?" he asked as she led him into the nearest room.
"Nothing," she mumbled, pushing him onto the bed. "I just missed you."
Teddy attempted to sit up as Skylar pushed him back down, kissing him fiercely. "Everybody's out there, though...it's a party..." he said weakly in between kisses.
"We can have our own private party," she said breathlessly, fumbling with the buttons on his shirt.
"Skye, this is Molly and Arthur's room...it's weird...they're like my grandparents..."
Skylar eyed him for a minute, studying his expression. Finally, she sighed, climbing off of him. "You're the only boy to ever say 'no' to me, Teddy Lupin."
Teddy raised his eyebrows. "Oh, really?"
She grinned, standing up. "Yep...but that's why I like you."
"Because I refuse to do it in my grandparent's bed?"
She rolled her eyes. "No...because you care about me...It's not just sex with you..."
Teddy stood up, kissing her forehead. "Of course not."
Skylar smiled, leaning up to kiss him sweetly.
Truthfully, his recent relationship with Skylar was very sudden and unexpected. Skylar had always been Victoire's loud, obnoxious friend. She was talkative, popular, bossy, slightly judgmental, rude at times, and from the beginning, Teddy had always wondered why Victoire was friends with her. But over the past year, he had grown to see a different side of Skylar. He saw how compassionate and loyal she could be. When Victoire left, he needed somebody to understand the hole in his heart that Victoire had left, and Skylar had been there to do that.
Finn didn't understand how Teddy could date a girl two years younger than him, especially when that girl was Skylar. But Teddy had always suspected that the only reason Finn and Skylar didn't get along was because they were so much alike. He spent most of his time breaking up arguments between the two of them, but he didn't mind. He'd grown used to their constant bickering, and it came with the territory when your best friend was somebody like Findley West and your girlfriend was Skylar Grey.
A loud knock on the door forced the two of them to break apart.
"Teddy! Vic's here!" Finn said frantically, swinging open the door.
Teddy and Skylar exchanged eager looks before racing out of the bedroom. They found themselves in the living room, where Victoire was being mobbed by her family. The three of them froze, staring at Victoire. She looked so different, yet exactly the same. She still had the same long silvery, blonde hair, the same stunning blue eyes, the same rosy cheeks and perfectly pink lips that Teddy always found himself staring at. Yet, she seemed to have aged years. She looked tired and worn down, and the fake smile plastered on her face couldn't hide the resentment and sadness in her eyes.
Teddy always found it strange that Victoire had left without saying goodbye. They had been best friends since they were babies, but she never thought to say goodbye, or write to him, or respond to any of his letters. She just disappeared. One day she was there, and the next she wasn't. He'd been angry with her for so long, but seeing her...relief washed over him. She was home and she was safe. That was the only thing that mattered.
"Victoire!" Skylar cried, pushing past him and Finn. Teddy watched as Skylar struggled through the crowds of Weasleys huddled around Victoire. "Victoire!" Skylar cried, hugging her best friend tightly. "It's so good to see you. Come on, Teddy and Finn are here too..."
Victoire looked past Skylar, and her eyes locked with Teddy's for a moment. Teddy thought that if his heart pounded any harder, it would break out of his chest. Finally, Victoire looked back at Skylar, forcing a smile. "Erm..yeah...okay..."
Victoire allowed Skylar to pull her along. Finn was bouncing eagerly beside Teddy. "Damn, Teddy, Vic looks fit," he whispered.
Teddy rolled his eyes. "Victoire's always been beautiful, idiot."
"...and so we're together now!" Skylar finished saying as she brought Victoire towards them.
Victoire looked at Teddy. "So, you and Skye, huh?"
"You approve?" Teddy asked, grinning.
She didn't smile. "Sure."
Finn looked like he was about to burst. "Vic, you look bloody fit," he shouted, hugging her tightly.
For the first time in over a year, Teddy heard Victoire laugh, and to him it was the most amazing sound in the world. "It's nice to see you too, Finn," she said.
Teddy moved in to hug her. "We missed you, Vic," he whispered.
She hugged him back. "Yeah..."
Skylar beamed. "Oh, this is so brilliant. Why didn't you tell us you were coming back to Hogwarts? I can't wait until Grace hears about this! How much do you want to bet that she cries when she sees you?"
"Where is Gracie?" Victoire asked, glancing around the crowded room.
"Vacation with her parents," Skylar replied, linking arms with Victoire. "But I asked Grandma Weasley to set a place for you next to me. It'll be just like old times!"
Victoire pulled away. "Actually, you know what...I really need to just get some fresh air...It was a really long ride back, and I hardly got any sleep last night..."
Skylar paused. "Okay..." she said uncertainly.
"I just...it's a bit stuffy in here, that's all," she said.
They watched as Victoire stumbled outside, looking miserable. "Cheerful girl, that one," Finn said, shaking his head.
Skylar elbowed him. "She just got kicked out of her school. What did you expect?"
"Yeah, but remember the old Victoire?" Finn asked.
"I'm sure she's still like that," Skylar said confidently. "Come on, just give her some time. She's fine."
Teddy looked between his best friend and his girlfriend, his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "What if she's not fine?"
"Teddy -" Skylar began angrily.
"No, come on, listen. We haven't heard from her in a year. She never replied to any of our letters. She never came home for the holidays..."
"What are you saying, Teddy?" Skylar snapped.
Teddy gazed at Victoire's retreating figure. Her silvery blonde hair was swaying behind her as she strode outside. "I'm saying people change."
Victoire closed her eyes, resting her back against the wall. It was all she could do to hold it together in there. Everything and everybody in that house reminded her of what happened last year. The Burrow held too many memories for her. It hurt her too much to be there.
She looked around the backyard, where she had spent most of her childhood days. She and Teddy used to spend nearly every weekend at The Burrow chasing the garden gnomes, picking flowers, zooming around on toy brooms, helping James and Fred pull pranks on the younger children, cuddling under the giant oak tree over the hill, gathering the younger kids for picnics and tea parties.
The two of them had had the childhood kids could only dream about. Sure, their families had faced so many heartbreaking losses because of Voldemort, but they were in a new era. Teddy and Victoire were the children of what many people were calling the 'Golden Age.' Voldemort was gone, his death eaters were in prison, families were reunited, muggleborns were safe again, the ministry had gone through radical changes...It was supposed to be a new dawn, a new era...
A few feet away from her, the door burst open and several children came running outside, clutching brooms. James and Fred were leading them.
"I call Seeker like my dad!" James shouted.
Fred nodded. "Okay, I'll be Beater!"
"Jay, I want to play too," Lily begged, running after her brother.
Fred and James exchanged looks. "Okay," they said uncertainly. "Are you any good?"
Lily snatched the broom from her brother. All the kids stopped arguing over positions to watch as Lily zoomed around the field skillfully. James and Albus looked stunned. "When'd you get so good?" James demanded.
"Mum's been helping me," Lily replied, landing gracefully beside her brothers.
James clapped her on the back. "You can replace Al as our Chaser."
Albus looked offended. "Hey!"
"Don't worry," Fred told him, "you can play for the other team."
Rose laughed. "Yeah, Al, you can play with us. Don't worry, we'll crush your brother and sister."
James rolled his eyes. "Dream on, Rosie."
They all laughed and James turned around. When he saw Victoire, he beamed. "Vic! Want to play?" he asked.
Victoire felt a sudden lump grow in her throat. She shook her head. "Nah, I'll just watch," she said croakily.
James looked slightly disappointed. "Okay," he said shrugging.
"Too bad," Fred said wistfully. "You're a brilliant Chaser."
She smiled sadly. "Thanks...maybe next game..."
"I want to play too," Louis protested, following his cousins onto the field. ""What position do I get?"
Victoire watched all of them walk away, holding back her sobs until they were out of earshot. She leaned back against the wall, urging herself to regain her composure. She had no idea why she had suddenly gotten the urge to burst into tears. How embarrassing was that? Especially in front of all her younger cousins and her younger siblings! Once she was sure her tears had all dried up and her face was no longer red, Victoire flipped her hair back and walked back into the party. Just like her mother taught her, she would play her part. She laughed and smiled, and she made small talk with all her family members. She sat through dinner with a smile, ignoring the looks coming from Teddy. She listened intently while her grandmother rattled on about the year she had missed. She laughed when Finn and Skylar began their usual round of bickering. It was almost like normal, almost like old times. She glanced at her parents. Bill looked pleased, and Fleur looked content. However, when Victoire looked at her sister, Dominique just shook her head. She could always tell when Victoire was faking it.
When dinner was over and everybody began milling around the house again, Victoire found it the perfect time to escape. She managed to sneak outside without catching anybody's attention...or so she thought...
"Where are you going?" Teddy asked. Victoire nearly screamed when she saw him. He was sitting against the wall in the dark, a firewhiskey in his hand.
"Don't sneak up on me like that?" Victoire snapped. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"
Teddy held up his firewhiskey. "Couldn't resist."
She took the firewhiskey from his hand, and chugged it down until it was all gone. When she handed him back the empty bottle, he raised his eyebrows. "Thirsty?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Long night."
He nodded, tossing aside the empty bottle. "So, where are you sneaking off to?" he wondered.
"None of your business."
He shrugged. "Fine."
She frowned. "You're giving up...just like that?"
"Just like that."
"But...why? It's so not like you."
He almost smiled. "Your mum's coming outside right now. I figured she'd stop you."
Victoire turned around. Fleur was stomping outside, glaring at her daughter. "Victoire, what are you doing? Please don't tell me you're sneaking off! Your father told you that -"
Teddy stepped out of the shadows. "Fleur, it's okay. She was just talking to me."
Victoire wasn't sure whether she was upset or not with Teddy. Why was he always coming to her rescue, anyway? It made it so difficult to be annoyed with him.
Fleur blinked, stepping back. "Teddy? I didn't see you inside."
"Oh, I was with Finn and Skylar."
Fleur smiled, wrapping her thin arms around Teddy. "Oh, Teddy, it is so good to see you! Mon Dieu, vous l'air si magnifique!"
Teddy laughed. "I have no idea what that means, but I'll take it as a compliment."
"Oh, it was!" Fleur exclaimed, smoothing his hair like she did when they were kids.
Victoire rolled her eyes. She'd always been frustrated with how well her mother and Teddy get along. Even when they were little kids, her mother seemed to prefer Teddy. "Oh, get a room, why don't you?"
Teddy waggled his eyebrows. "If only she weren't married."
Fleur smacked him. "Oh, Teddy, you're so bad!"
Victoire made a gagging sound.
"You know, I'm very glad you and Victoire are speaking again. Maybe you could be a good influence on her." Fleur said sincerely, running her hands through her silvery blonde hair.
Teddy snorted. "Yeah, I don't know about that..."
Victoire glared at them furiously. "I think I'm going inside."
"Victoire, wait!" Fleur said, holding her daughter back. "I was just speaking with your aunt Ginny and uncle Harry. They want to know if you might want to spend a few days at her house. I think it might be a good idea. You should spend as much time as possible with your family!"
"It's better than having to spend another minute with you," Victoire said viciously.
Fleur stumbled back. Teddy scratched his head uncomfortably. "I'll...erm...I'll tell her you said yes..." Fleur finally managed to say.
Victoire and Teddy watched as Fleur marched back inside, her head held high. However, Victoire noticed how her mother's eyes suddenly looked watery, and by the look on Teddy's face, she could tell he had seen it too.
"What the hell's the matter with you?" Teddy demanded furiously. "You just made your mum cry!"
Victoire rolled her eyes. "Oh, that's right. I forgot you were in love with her."
"This has nothing to do with me," Teddy hissed.
"Exactly. So why don't you mind your own damn business." Victoire flipped her hair back and began to stalk off, but Teddy grabbed her by the arm and pulled her back. "Teddy, let go of me."
"Vic, those people are the only family that you've got. Get your boney arse back inside and apologize to your mother."
Victoire glared at him. "You have no right to tell me how to deal with my parents. That's my business!"
"How could you treat her that way?"
"Teddy, I mean it. You have no idea what you're talking about. Okay? Those are my parents."
Teddy let go of Victoire's arm. "Maybe so, but if I still had my parents, I sure as hell wouldn't treat them like that."
"Well, they're not your family! They're mine!"
Teddy shook his head. "You know very well that I love everybody in that house just as much as you. They're like my family."
"But they're not, Teddy! They're my family. Okay? Not yours. Your family is Andromeda, and that's it. You need to keep your big fat nose out of my family's business. Your parents are dead, and you can't replace them with mine. And it's about time you stopped trying."
Teddy shrunk back. Victoire knew it was the one thing she could say to really hurt him. His biggest fear was not truly belonging in the Weasley/Potter family because he wasn't blood related. In her heart, Victoire knew he was just as much part of the family as she was. She didn't know what made her say what she did. For a split second, she took pleasure in the hurt expression on Teddy's face, but that feeling didn't last very long. Afterwards, she just felt sick and guilty.
Teddy backed away. "I think I'll go inside," he muttered before turning around, following Fleur's footsteps back inside.
"Teddy, wait!" she called. He paused, but didn't turn around. "I know how you are with girls. Don't you dare hurt Skylar," she said seriously. "She's been through enough."
He turned around and looked at her. "Trust me, Vic, if anybody's hurt her, it's you," he said before going inside and joining the rest of the party.
Victoire swallowed back the lump growing in her throat. She stared at the spot where Teddy had disappeared. Through the window she could see her family members laughing and talking. Victoire could see her own parents talking to her grandparents. They looked happy, genuine smiles on their faces. It had been ages since Victoire had seen them smile like that. On the stairs, Finn was giving a red faced Skylar a noogie. Finally, he let go of her, and she gave him a not so friendly hand gesture. Teddy was smiling at them, rolling his eyes. If Victoire had never left Hogwarts, she would probably be right next to Teddy, laughing at Finn and Skylar.
With a sigh, she turned around and marched up the hill. Victoire didn't cry. She had learned long ago that tears never helped anybody. So, once she was over the hill, she took her wand out and shot it up into the air. A moment later, with a loud crack, the Knight Bus appeared in front of her.
"You again?" Stan Shunpike said in surprise, hopping off the bus.
Victoire stuck her wand back inside her pocket. "Just take me to St. Mungo's," she muttered, handing him a few coins.
"Are you supposed to be here?" A large woman with a clipboard was glaring at Victoire from behind her glasses.
"I'm family," Victoire lied, pushing past her. The woman grunted, but she didn't stop her. Victoire opened the door gently to reveal a bright yellow room. It was small and cold with only one window to show the night sky outside. Victoire rushed to the middle of the room where a sandy haired boy was lying in a cot. She sat beside the boy, reaching out to hold his hand. "Hi-ya, Chris...It's me, Victoire. I'm back."
She waited for Chris say something. He didn't.
She sighed, squeezing his hand. "Come on, Chris...I came all the way from France," she said, her voice breaking. "This would be a real good time to wake up...come on...Chris, please...just open your eyes, I'm begging you..." She let out a sob, burying her head in her hands. "Damn it, Chris, just wake up already!" she cried, looking up.
Victoire waited, hoping Chris would miraculously open his eyes. But again, he didn't.
She took his hand again, closing her eyes, hoping to stop the tears. "Come on, Chris...why won't you wake up for me? I need you..."
A hand on her shoulder made Victoire jump. She glanced up to find Teddy standing over her, gazing down sadly at Chris. He squeezed her shoulder, and she turned back around, watching Chris, hoping that by some miracle he would jump out of the bed and tell them that it was all some bad joke. When he didn't, Victoire felt tears trickle down her cheeks. She sighed, stroking Chris's hand, begging him to wake up. Behind her, Teddy stayed still, his hand resting on her shoulder comfortingly.
