Chapter 4

I feel like this is a bit of a messy muddle, getting round to people talking

Things hadn't got much better for Teddy at Hogwarts. People still stared and whispered, although most had learned not to berate him with questions anymore, but that was down to his change in attitude. Half way through his second year something snapped. A third year Gryffindor boy, who was on the school paper and had been bugging him since the moment he stepped inside Hogwarts about the great trio, Harry Ron and Hermione, which would have been tolerable, but when he wasn't getting the in depth behind the scenes interview he wanted, he brought up Teddys parents. Something snapped. Teddy rounded on the boy who although was taller than him, seemed to shrink with the look Teddy gave him, and after offering to reposition the quill and parchment the boy constantly had in hisbhand to some where less comfortable, most people got the hint.

He resented the fame at first but soon it developed into resenting those closest to him, and even his parents. Why did they have to fight? Why couldn't they have stayed home with their baby and raised him and he could just be another normal wizard? Rather than talk about it, it was easier to distract himself with his friends who had started gathering the attention of the girls in their year and the year below. Every now and then they would use the whole, poor orphan Teddy on a girl to helo Teddy out, and themselves if the girl had good looking friends. Not that Teddy needed the extra help, he had always been a cute kid and had gone through the awkward gangly phase, but he had started to fill out.

"still though, at least all this attention can be used for something more fun" his friends would say.

Teddy still loved his friends and family greatly and spent a lot of time, when he wasn't at school, with the cousins, but things didn't feel the same for him between Harry and the other adults. It was hard to when all anyone cared about at school was hearing about them. The only place that felt the same as it had done before Hogwarts, that wasn't his own home, was shell cottage. When he wasn't exploring the world with his gran or meeting up with Aedan, Mathew and Arron, that's where he would be. Bill and Teddy would take Lewis, who was always excited when his surrogate big brother visited, out flying in he garden. Fleur would bake all of them cookies and dote on him as she had done when he was little, even though at 13 he was already just taller than her.

Dominique seemed like she was 8 going on 18, she and Roxanne were often joined at the hip giggling and flicking through witch weekly looking for the latest gossip and trends they would beg their mothers to let them try out.

"you girls are 8! Why are you walking round in those" teddy said to the two girls pointimg at the platforms they had 'burrowed'.

"omg teddy get out!" Dominique threw a pillow at his head,

"you just don't understand style"said Roxanne as she posed in the full length mirror.

Teddy burst out laughing.

"urrrgh what do you even want?" Dominique demanded.

"I cant come say hi anymore?"

Both girls just stared at him.

"ok ok, wheres Tor? I need to give her something"

Dominique rolled her eyes, "last I saw she was freaking out in her room about having everything she needed for school. She's been a total nightmare! I borrow a few things and she comes digging through all my stuff shouting about how I need to stay out of her room, whatever. Anyway, if she's not there who knows, probably freaking out somewhere, as long as it's not in my face."

Teddy left the girls pouring over their magazines as they started to try to copy the latest makeup look with some 'borrowed' make up.

He had a few ideas where Victorie may have taken herself off to, and after checking the swing seat at the very bottom of the garden out of view from the house and a dodgy treehouse they had built, more of a death trap really, he found her down on the beach, staring down at a rock pool.

"I found you!" Teddy laughed as she started so, at the sudden sound of his voice the elbow she was resting on slipped and she fell into the little pool of water.

"Ha ha very! You shouldn't sneak up on people like that." She said, looking only mildly annoyed and still very distracted, as she wrung out the ends of her long and now damp hair.

"Hey, is everything ok? You'd usually be kicking my butt by now" Teddy asked.

"School's only a week away," she said quietly, looking down at the rock pool again. "Look st everything you've had to deal with."

"It's not so bad!"

Victorie gave him a dubious look.

"No honestly, after the incident with that prick from the paper, hardly anyone bugs me now, unless I want them to, then it's all 'woe is me'"

"Ew Teddy that's awful! I don't need to hear about how you get girls interested in you!" Looking genuinely grossed out.

"Well anyway, if anyone bothers you just let me know and me and the lads will sort them out, ok?"

Victorie could help giggle at the idea of Teddy 'sorting someone out'. Yes he had started to fill out but she could only see the goofy little friend she had known her whole life.

"Oi I'm not as skinny as I used to be! Look right here see that!" He flexed his arm, but it only make Victorie laugh even louder as a small bludgeon appeared on his bicep, "yeah well I'd like to see your muscles," he said laughing along with her, poking her tiny arms.

"Fair enough." She said as she gained some composure,"why were you looking for me anyway?"

"Can't your bestest friend in the whole world just want to scare you so you fall in tiny rock pools? Actually this time there is a reason, I have something for you."

"You already gave me the greenstone you got from your trip to New Zealand last week"

"Not that! This," he said, holding out a small silver charm bracelet with a single Eiffel Tower charm hanging from it.

"My bracelet!" It was the bracelet she had given Teddy on his first day of Hogwarts two years ago, he gently helped her but it on around her tiny wrist, their hands briefly lingering in one another's.

"I duno why but when I really missed home and just wanted to come back, it helped just to hold a piece of you guys in my hand, thanks Tor" he was staring at the little charm, he remembered she had picked it out when they had gone to visit her grandmother in Paris and he and his gran had been invited along. She reached out and gave him a tight hug, then lay down on the sand.

"I'm glad it helped, let's hope it works for me".

"It's guna be great, and you'll have me, how could you possibly go wrong!" Giving her a cheeky smile, and lay next to her.

"I swear the last 6 months you have got so big headed! Those fan girls are doing you no good."

"Well none of you guys feed my ego, someone would recognise how amazing I am at some point, it was inevitable".

Victorie just rolled her eyes, and sighed.

"Is everything really ok Teddy?" She had noticed something different about him since he came back that summer. He still acted like everything was light and funny, not taking anything too seriously, but there was something underneath, she couldn't quite work out what.

"Yeah coarse, why?"

"I don't know, you just seem different, I know you're happy but it's like something's tainting it."

Teddy was stunned for a moment, how is it this tiny 11 year old girl had picked up on the anger and resentment he'd been covering up that no one else seemed to have noticed. Yes they were best friends and had known each other since she was born but since starting Hogwarts, they hadn't spent nearly as much time together as they used to, even over the summers he was away with his grandmother and spending time with friends and all of the other cousins, and yet still she knew him better than anyone. He quickly snapped out of it with a big smile.

"Don't be silly, it's just my new found edginess, you must have picked up on the moody guy vibe I put on for the girls," winking at her as a spoke.

Victorie pretended to retch, "you're such a creep now!"

"It's not my fault it works! It wasn't even me who started it, Aedan was the one who made up the whole poor orphan Teddy he's so misunderstood, crap, So he could be the good guy friend just being there as a shoulder to brood on," he attempted to defend himself.

"Yeah well you're all creeps then! I'm going no where near creeps like you when I go to Hogwarts"

"Good! Your dad would have a fit if you did, I don't know what he's going to do when Niq and Roxie start," Teddy looked wide eyed at the thought.

"Have a mental breakdown probably."

They carried on talking like this until Fleur called them in for dinner, and continued after in the living room until it was long past time for Teddy to head home.

"I know it's scary Tori but we'll have each other now and once you make a few friends, settle in you'll wonder what you were even nervous about in the first place"

"I hope you're right," she said nervously twirling the ends of her long silvery blonde hair, even in the dim light it seemed to shine.

"Aren't I always..wait don't answer that, just trust me on this one." He pulled her into a reassuring hug before being engulfed in green flames and disappearing.

Victorie sighed, still unsure of what was ahead but surely if Teddy had found his place and was enjoying himself, then so could she.

"That's it no more worrying or moping! It's just pathetic. I'm going to have a great time and learn amazing things, who cares what everyone else is doing!" She said to no one in particular, and marched up stairs, a new determined attitude, to pack the rest of her things ready for next week.

"Victorie! Eet is time to go my darling," Fleur shouted up to her daughter.

Victorie took one last look in the mirror, checking her appearance. She knew she was very pretty, how could she not be being part Veela, but it was something that made her feel a little self conscious, especially at her age. Even Veela go through an awkward stage apparently and Victorie did not feel her appearance was living up to what was expected. She felt she was too skinny, her arms and legs seemed too long for her body, she would joke she had more of a five-head than a fore head and it didn't help not knowing how to dress with her boobs starting the fill out slightly, but not enough to warrant a bra. She sighed, brushed through her long thick silvery blonde hair, at least that's one thing she liked about herself, and bounded down stairs.

Since she had decided not to mope around anymore, she had been able to let herself be excited about going to Hogwarts. Her dad had told her about all the new things she would learn and her uncles George and Ron had told her how much fun they had while they attended, in between all the dark lord drama of coarse.

"All ready Mum, I brought my trunk down stairs last night, I've got a small bag for things I might need on the train, I think I'm ready."

Fleur looked at her oldest child, and holding Victories face gently in her hands,"I can not believe it is already time for you to go, it seems like only an instant since we were praying we would have a child," her eyes brimming with tears and she brought Victorie in a gentle but tight hug.

Bill popped his head into the hallway, seeing mother and daughter holding on to one another, he felt a lump grow in his throat.

"How we doing in here?" He asked.

Fleur and Victorie started slightly at the sound of his voice, both looking a little bleary eyed as they looked over at him.

"Just 'aving a moment, come on darling, time to go." Fleur said.

Victorie took her mothers hand, they went out to where Dominique and Louis were waiting for them, and they all headed to Kings Cross Station.

Victorie was the first of her family to pass through the wall onto platform 9 ¾ , and just as she was gaining her bearings, she was tackled at all angles nearly knocking her small frame to the ground. All of the family had made it to see Victorie off.

"I love you guys but seriously I need air!," Victorie gasped.

They were all laughing and talking excitedly as Victorie made the rounds greeting her aunts and uncles. Harry was watching over the kids with Ron and George, while Hermione, Angelina, Audrey Percy's wife, and Fleur were gathered round making sure Victorie had everything she needed, fussing over her, while Ginny and Andromeda snapped a million and one photos of them all.

Victorie felt a tap on her shoulder, and turned around, "Tante Gabrielle! Tu m'as tellement manqué. Que faites-vous ici?" Victorie hadn't quite registered her aunt was here, at the station. They usually went to visit her in France where they all would tend to speak French.

"I missed you too! What am I doing here? I could not possibly miss you going off to 'ogwarts! This ees such an important moment for you I just couldn't miss it." And she gave her niece a big hug.

"Thanks so much for coming, it really does mean the world."

"It ees my pleasure, I also have a leetle something for you," she handed Victorie a small box.

Inside was a charm, a silver stack of books with a golden wand resting on top.

"Oh it's beautiful thank you so much aunt Gabrielle you didn't have to!" Victorie gushed as her aunt helped her put the new charm on her bracelet.

"Nonsense, I wanted you to 'ave something special to mark ze occasion."

At that moment the train whistle sounded and it was nearly time to go. There was another round of goodbyes, lots of hugs a few more tears, even Dominique gave her sister a hug, asking if she could borrow her clothes afterwards of coarse.

Bill lifted Victories trunk onto the train, and turned to his daughter, "you're going to do amazing things sweetheart, and this is just the beginning," his big cheerful smile beaming down at her made her really believe him.

"We really need to get on the train Tor." Teddy held his hand out to her. He had gone to find them a compartment and his friends leaving her to say her goodbyes having already said his.

Bill pulled her in for one last hug, she felt so small to him, he briefly flashed back to the day she was born and how tiny and delicate she had felt then. Time had passed by so fast. Just before releasing her he looked up at Teddy catching his eye. Bill had had a talk with Teddy the day before over a game of wizards chess.

"I know you found it tough your first year, I think everyone does but you know the added strain of being associated with this family."

Teddy looked up at Bill.

"Don't worry Bill, I'll keep an eye on her, she won't have to put up with idiots like I had to, I'll make sure of it."

"Good, just don't go getting yourself into trouble either."

A cheeky grin appeared on Teddys face, Bill couldn't help but smile back,"the professors love me, I'm not sure exactly how far I could go without getting into serious trouble, but I'm pretty sure I'll be alright."

Bill rolled his eyes, and they continued their game.

"Go on, it's time," Bill let go of Victorie and watched as she stepped onto the train.

As she stepped on to the train, Victorie started to feel excited, she was sad to be leaving her family, but now the goodbyes were done, she started to feel the buzz from the other students as they walked along the train to the compartment Teddy had found for them.

"Hey Matt," Teddy said to a boy who was reaching out of the top window as an elderly woman passed him something.

"Hey. Ok nan I've got it honestly we'll be fine they feed us as soon as we get there, you know this, I love you ok bye…yes yes I promise I'll write now go." Matt threw himself down onto the seat, "see! This is why I'm so wound up, you see!"

Teddy just laughed at his exasperated friend, as Victorie stood awkwardly beside him.

"Oh yeah hey, Matt this is Tori," he beamed as a introduced them.

"The famous Victorie! It feels like your already part of the our little group with how much Teddy talks about you."

Victorie started the blush, "oh my gosh I'm so sorry, I bet your sick of me already."

"Not at all. Although you didn't bother to mention how good looking she is," Matt raised an eyebrow at Teddy, who looked at Victorie and titled his head, he hadn't really thought about it before, but yes she was very pretty. "You better watch out when Aedan gets here," Matt smirked at the sudden look of horror on Teddys face, Bill would not be happy if Teddy let his friends hit on his daughter. Victorie just laughed, she was used to people thinking she was pretty, she couldn't see herself what was so special but there was no use trying to tell others that, and after a while she found it less and less embarrassing.

"Maybe we should go find a quieter compar…" Teddy started to say, but it was too late. He felt an arm drop onto his shoulders.

"How goes the battle lads!" Aedan beamed, followed by Arron and a group of four giggling girls.

"Have you met our new friend?" Matt said, a devious look on his face. Teddy glared at him.

Aedan looked around the compartment indignant that he hadn't been introduced earlier, despite just setting foot inside.

"Hi, I'm Victorie, apparently you've all heard a lot about me already," Victorie said giving a little wave.

"This is the Victorie?," Aedan glared at Teddy, "tut tut Edward, I see why you've kept her to yourself all this time."

"It's her first year here!" Teddy exclaimed.

"Excuses, and I bet you haven't even been introduced properly yet," Aedan turned to Victorie and ushered her into a seat next him leaving Teddy on the other side of the compartment. "Well you've met Mathew over there, he loves us really but you'd never be able to tell. Then there's Arron, it be a miracle if you managed to get a full sentence out of that one, I think it's an act for the ladies personally," he winked at her knowingly, "next to the man of mystery over there was have Molly and Millie, the twins, and Eleanor and Lilah, they're part of our entourage."

"No we're not you prick I've no idea why my friends even insist on hanging around you lot! And you know it's Nora, not Eleanor." The girl threw what Victorie assumed was his back at Aedan.

"Aw come on sis you love us really. Nora's a little touchy," he said in a loud whisper.

"It's very nice to meet you all, what about you though," Victorie turned to Aedan a light smile on her face, her blue eyes were dazzling. She was young and clearly going through an awkward phase but it was obvious she would be stunning as she got older. Aedan had to clear his throat to bring himself back.

"Well I'm the leader of this rag tag group, and quite the good looking one at that," putting his hand to his chin, smiling at her. Victorie couldn't help but burst out laughing at his fake arrogance although she was sure he knew how good looking he really was.

Nora had come over to see what was so funny and Aedan left then chatting, and sat next to a very grumpy looking Teddy.

"You can't go out with her!" Teddy said very seriously.

"You can't call dibs on a girl mate, anyway I thought she was like a sister?"

"Yes and no, we're best friends but that's not even the point, I promised her dad I'd look out for her, and you're a prick to girls."

"Ah cheers for that mate," Aedan said sarcastically.

"You know what I mean. You can't mess with her like other girls, she's special." It had just slipped out, Aedan raised an eyebrow at him. "You know what I mean, none of us go near your sister and she's only a year younger and hot!"

"Alright alright, just a friendly face around Hogwarts, nothing more calm yourself down," he thought for a moment, "although, what if she were interested in me, I don't think I'd be able to resist such a pretty face."

Teddy punched his arm and the train journey continued along these same lines, Matt joined in with Aedan teasing Teddy, Nora, Lilah and Victorie continued talking while the twins fawned over Arron who barely said anything.

This is alright so far, Victorie thought to herself.