okay, so I wrote this several thousand word story on the entirety of Victoire and Teddy's relationship, but unfortunately, it was way over the word limit for this competition and there was no way I could effectively cut it down. I am not very pleased with this, but as I was running out of time in which to submit this entry, it's the best I could do. I'll probably post the full story soon, outside of the comp. Please review and let me know your thoughts!

and the world keeps spinning

chapter five

title: how our stars don't collide

prompt: Victoire Weasley, and a romantic relationship with someone not in the Ravenclaw house

pairing: VictoireTeddy

"You're beautiful, you know?" Teddy whispers as he plays with a tendril of her white-blonde hair.

She laughs and kisses him, lazily settling into his arm as they stare up into the nighttime sky. It's beautiful and stretches into infinity… "just like us," Victoire breathes.

Teddy makes a sound of inquiry but Victoire silences him with a kiss. "Look at all the constellations," she breathes, pointing out patterns and pictures in the sky.

She rattles off their names, and Teddy smiles as he watches her light up, the stars brilliantly reflected in her eyes. He wasn't Ravenclaw like her, he only sees little white dots up in the sky, but he loves watching her as she shines.

Victoire falls quiet, and Teddy kisses the top of her head. No, he'll never be Ravenclaw, he's Gryffindor, and he's supposed to be brave and chivalrous. He's known as a good guy, as a true-and-true Gryffindor. But when he thinks of Lily's bright green eyes and the way his heart constricts painfully whenever he's in near proximity of her, and when he thinks of Victoire's love and trust in him, he decides he's truly a bastardly coward.

"Victoire," he manages, his heart beating wildly as he considers the notion of doing the quote-unquote right thing—and breaking her heart. "I have something to tell you."

Victoire turns and looks at him, her grey eyes darkening as she picks up on his tone. "No," she says firmly, placing a small hand over his mouth. "Teddy. Not tonight."

"Victoire," Teddy tries, wishing more than anything that he didn't have to do this. "I think that-"

Victoire ignores him, settling back into his arm, shaking her head. "Tonight is perfect," she says softly, her words drifting into the vastness of the sky. "Nothing can ruin it. Tonight is us."

Teddy closes his eyes, feeling guilt and cowardice and relief, sweet Merlin, relief. "Okay," he whispers, drawing her closer to him. "Okay."

"I love you," Victoire murmurs, closing her eyes.

"I will always love you," Teddy tells her, the words leaving his lips and floating into the night, truer than any lie he's ever told.