Teddy had told Leah that he didn't own any turquoise clothes, but she wouldn't take no for an answer. She caught him just outside the Great Hall, a moment before dinner, clutching a synthetic nightmare in her hands.

'Look what I found!' she squealed, 'I asked around in the common room and a fourth year gave it to me- isn't that amazing?'

'Oh- er,' said Teddy, 'isn't it a bit late?'

'No, no, silly!' said Leah, forcing the sweater towards him 'we're early anyway- quick, run to the bathroom and try it on!'

'Leah,' sighed Teddy, holding the sweater up to his body, 'this is too small,' it looked like a child's jumper.

'Oh,' she whimpered, 'could you not squeeze?'

'I don't think so,' Teddy said, 'sorry you had to go to all the effort,'

'Well you should be sorry!' Leah crossed her arms, 'you're not even willing to try!'

'Look, I'll do my hair,' he said, 'will that make you happy?'

'Hmm… I guess it'll do,' she exhaled, 'Professor McGonagall's going to make a quick speech before dinner, then we're up!' she said before slinking away and going a few of the Hufflepuff girls. Teddy ran his hand through his hair, and as he did so, he turned it a vibrant turquoise.

'Oh god,' said Phillip Jameson over his shoulder, 'did you lose a bet?'

'No,' sighed Teddy, 'don't worry about it mate,' he shook his head, 'let's go and sit,' The two of them joined Joseph Davies and the rest of the 7th year boys on Gryffindor table. An array of offensive comments were shot in Teddy's direction.

Once the majority of the students had taken their seats in the Great Hall, McGonagall rose from her seat, and addressed the school,

'Good evening,' she said, her classic emerald robes billowing slightly in a breeze, 'today, I have an exciting announcement to make,' her eyes panned the room, 'if Mr Ted Lupin and Miss Leah Tucker would like to join me,' she continued, 'and elaborate on this point,'

'Whut?' grunted Phillip, looking quizzically at Teddy. He didn't respond. Without looking at the others, Teddy stood from the bench and approached the front of the room. He saw Leah scuttle to the front, beaming with excitement as she hurried Teddy along.

'Hi everyone,' said Leah, a grin on her face that spread from ear to ear, 'now, recently, Teddy and I,' she gestured towards Teddy, he smiled awkwardly at the crowd, 'have been talking to Professor McGonagall about a very exciting event.' She paused, 'A Yule Ball!' Leah braced herself with the sheer enthusiasm that ran through her veins. A few girls gasped and giggled, and a general chatter erupted across the hall.

'It'll take place on the 21st December,' said Teddy, remembering the facts that Leah had blurted to him earlier, 'and years four and upwards are invited to attend,' there was a universal grumble of disappointment from years one, two and three.

'I absolutely cannot wait!' Leah exclaimed, clapping her hands together before embracing Teddy. Joseph Davies did a grotesque sexual gesture in Teddy's direction.

'Now, now,' said McGonagall, peeling Leah from Teddy, 'that's quite enough excitement for one evening,' Leah squealed and returned to her seat, as Teddy followed suit, returning to Gryffindor table.

'Nice one, mate,' whispered Joseph, winking at him.

'Why are you organizing a dance?' Phillip Jameson asked, his eyes narrowed,

'Because he's trying to bang Leah Tucker,' sniggered Joseph, elbowing Teddy in the ribs.

'Shut up, guys,' Teddy rolled his eyes. His mind was still on Victoire. How he wished he hadn't let the stupid plan to ignore her go this far… how he wished he'd been a little nicer to her at practice… how many things he'd done wrong.

Victoire sat at the table in her usual position. Between Millie and Jenna, opposite Kate and Poppy, and diagonally across from Claire.

'Oh my god!' squealed Millie, hitting her hands against the table, 'this is amazing!' Kate mimicked her excitement, the pair of them dissolving into a heap of squeaks and giggles.

'Do you think we'll all have to get dates?' asked Claire, a smile of anticipation on her face,

'Of course we'll have to get dates,' said Millie, 'how could you not?' Victoire saw Jenna sigh,

'What's wrong, Jen?' she asked quitely, still very grateful of the way she stood up to Millie for her her,

'Nothing,' she shrugged,

'No, really?' Victoire compelled her,

'I just don't think I want to go,' she trailed off,

'Why's that?'

'Because I won't have a date,' she said simply.

'Why not?' Victoire asked,

'Because I have about the same sexual appeal to boys as a potato,'

'That is absolutely not true,' said Victoire, shaking her head. Jenna was by no means the most beautiful girl in the room, but she certainly wasn't ugly. She had long bronze hair, which often frizzed, that she pulled back into a tight bun, and a big pair of mahogany eyes that contrasted with the pallor of her heart shaped face. She shrugged,

'I don't know, Vic,' she said, 'I'm not sure if I want to embarrass myself in front of half the school,'

'I'm going to make sure you find yourself a date,' said Victoire, 'only an idiot wouldn't want to go with you, trust me,'

'If you insist,' Jenna exhaled.

The weeks following were pumped with a buzz of anticipation- for both the Yule Ball and the upcoming Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match. Excited packs of girls scurried around the school, talking endlessly about ball dresses and boys. It was similar to an American muggle film that Victoire had once watched, but she couldn't remember the name of it.

'I want to ask Poppy to the ball,' Henry McLaggen had said to Victoire after Quidditch practice one day, 'but whenever I see her she's surrounded by a mass of girls,' he sighed. Victoire was relatively good friends with Poppy- who was a fellow minion of Millie's.

'I'll make the others move when you come near, ok?' said Victoire, 'But can you do me a favour?'

'Of course!' said Henry, 'what do you want?'

'You know Jenna Hardy?' she said, Henry nodded, 'do you think you could get one of your friends to ask her?' Henry wrinkled his nose,

'It's going to be a tough one,' he said, 'I don't know…' Victoire hit him on the arm,

'Don't be so cruel,' she said, 'Jenna's lovely,'

'I'm sure she is,' said Henry, pausing, 'let me ask around,'

'Thanks so much,' said Victoire. Jenna was so kind, she deserved to have a fun evening, and Victoire was determined to make it happen.

'Yeah…' muttered Henry, 'I'll do my best,' he said, before leaving the changing rooms. The team filtered out fairly rapidly, and it wasn't long before it was just Victoire and Teddy left.

'Hey, Victoire,' he called after her, as she approached the exit. She turned around, stunned by the communication- communication where it wasn't one hundred percent essential. She didn't say anything. 'Can I talk to you?' he asked,

'I guess so,' she said quietly,

'Look, I'm sorry for how I acted in training the other week,' he began, 'it was out of order,'

'Ok,' said Victoire, turning away from him,

'Ok… is that all you have to say to me?' said Teddy,

'Oh, that's rich,' snorted Victoire, 'as if you've ever had anything more to say yourself,' she added, stepping out the door,

'I just said I was sorry!' Teddy exclaimed,

'Well maybe sorry doesn't cut it this time,' Victoire said, still moving.

'I've really fucked up this year, haven't I?' Teddy sighed, Victoire stopped.

'Fucked up what?' Victoire asked him,

'Me and you,' he said, 'we're meant to be friends,'

'But are we really?' said Victoire, 'because it doesn't really feel like it, does it?'

'That's what I'm saying,' Teddy sighed,

'And you've only just noticed the fact that you've 'fucked up'' Victoire scowled at him,

'What do you mean?' Teddy frowned,

'It's not just this year, Teddy, it's all the years,' Victoire crossed her arms, 'You haven't given me the time of day since day one,'

'How about Christmas, summer, birthdays… you seem to be conveniently forgetting those,' Teddy corrected her,

'I'm talking about at Hogwarts, Teddy,' she said flatly,

'But it's different here, Vic, you don't understand-'

'Well maybe I don't… but to be honest, I don't really care anymore,' she spat, 'I'm done with being your little secret,'

'But-'

'No more buts,' Victoire interrupted him, 'from now on, it's my turn to call the shots. We'll act the same at home as we do here. We'll get on with our lives. We'll make do… but don't think for a second that we will be friends,'

'Victoire,' he shouted after her,

'No Teddy,' she said, 'It's too late,'and then she left.

Teddy had no idea that Victoire could stand up to him like that. No idea that she would stand up to him like that. He'd expected it to be easy. A quick sorry, then back to normal… back home in a few months… then to the burrow, where they'd talk, act like they were kids… be best friends. But now… where had it all gone? Teddy felt drained as he walked back to the castle. This was the second time he'd felt empty in the last month… but this time, it was so much worse. How could it possibly be worse than last time? Last time, he'd seen the girl he loved kiss another boy. This time, his childhood sweetheart had cut him off entirely.

When he returned to Gryffindor tower, he found Rubeus waiting on the window ledge of his dormitory.

'I'm so glad to see you,' he said to him quietly, stroking the snowy white feathers on his back. Once he'd succeeded in untying the letter from the owl's leg, he quickly unfolded it, eager to read Harry's advice.

Teddy,

When I realised my feelings for Ginny she had a boyfriend…and I was best friends with her brother. I knew I had to back off a little, but the pain of seeing them together was indescribable. The best advice I can offer you is to stay friends with this girl- be as close to her as possible. I promise you it will work out in the end.

See you at Christmas, mate.

Harry.

Teddy read the note. Then he read it again. Again and again until the words were numb to him. 'Stay her friend' it said. He ripped a piece of paper from the back of one of his school books and scrawled on it.

It's too late.

Victoire's words to him spun around in his mind, like they were mocking him. 'Harry,' he said to Rubeus, tying the note to its leg. He exhaled heavily, and pressed his cool hands to his face. There was no way he was going to dinner tonight. Not if his life depended on it. He jumped of his bed, heaving his trunk out from beneath it. Inside it was a collection of miscellaneous artifacts. A few old pairs of socks, a broken telescope, some every flavor beans, a few chocolate frog cards and his journal. He grabbed the book- which was battered from years of wear and tear. Inside were diary entries spanning his entire life, silly short stories and tragic cringe-worthy poem's he'd written in the past. He'd wanted to be a writer for as long as he could remember.

But writing was not the only thing that Teddy had in the journal. He also had photographs- loads of them. Pictures of his parents, Harry and Ginny, his Grandmother- the rest of the family… pictures of him and Victoire. He picked up a photograph. It'd been taken a couple of summers ago- he was in fifth year, Victoire was in third. They were sat in the garden at the Burrow- it'd been the hottest day of the year. The pair of them beamed up at the camera, waving and smiling, arms around each other's shoulders. Victoire looked gorgeous, her glorious hair spilling over her shoulders like molten gold. They were friends.

So much had changed. Teddy felt that looking at them was like looking into the past. The two best friends, trapped in the photograph. Nothing else of them remained. Now, they were just a memory. Nothing more.

Oh god! That chapter was SO difficult to write. I hope you enjoyed it... even if it is terribly sad.

Please, please, please tell me what you think! Reading your reviews literally makes my day- I'm not kidding!

Thanks so much darlings,

Em x