Chapter seven

Meal at the Burrow

Teddy put a hand on his head in an attempt to quell the dizzy sensation that came hand in hand with apparition. It was the adults' annual 'they're back at school' celebration/mourning get-together. This included teddy as soon as he had graduated, and he distinctly remembered realising in horror that there would be no pseudo-cousins around to play games with, and that he would have engage in intelligent, mature conversation if he wanted their respect that he was no longer a child. He had tried to talk to George about the economic situation at Gringott's - only to have him laugh in his face.

Teddy knew that his best friend would be feeling the same today, and he skimmed the garden, his eyes soon depicting Victoire after only a second as though wired to her. She was sat on the faded blue wooden bench; squinting up at her Grandma who had just hugged her, and was gushing over how beautiful she looked in her blue summer dress – nothing new there.

"One moment, Audrey." Teddy overhead Percy saying to his wife. "I'm going to go and welcome Victoire."

Teddy shook his head and hot-heeled it over to greet Victoire first, smirking; talking to Percy would definitely live up to her expectations. Even though this was her family, she'd never been here without other kids before – as an adult. Teddy figured it was his job to go and remind her that her place would always be right beside him.

Molly bumbled off and Victoire had pulled a book from her old bag, and it was propped open in her hands, a page dancing every now and again in the softly descending evening breeze. She glanced up as a shadow blocked the light of the late summer sun falling on her porcelain face, clearly not having heard the leaves beneath Teddy's feet crunching as he approached her.

Teddy slipped the book from her hands by way of greeting. He'd known her his whole life, but her little quirks still made him smile; for instance, you'd probably expect her to be reading a flimsy, girly romance novel, but no, it was a crime fic.

"Does reading this stuff before bed not scare the bajeezus out of you?" he asked conversationally; something he had pondered many a time.

"Nice to see you, too." She smiled and reached up to hug him. It had been a week since they had last spoke, as Teddy had recently finished his training for St. Mungo's and had become busy with real work. It was far too long in their books, although they had had to get used to it the previous year when Teddy had left school. Occupational Hazard of having a high-flying best friend who wasn't willing to retake their whole seventh year for you. Pfsht. "But to answer your question, no. It does give me the most interesting of dreams, though."

"Otherwise defined as nightmares."

He cut her off when she began to protest. "Besides, what are you doing sat alone over here? Party's over there." He motioned somewhere behind him, then stopped and smirked. "Come to think of it, now that I'm over here, I suppose you're where the parties at."

Victoire laughed loudly and hit him playfully on the chest, recognising the quote from something they'd overheard Louis saying a week or so ago to some girl at the summer festival.

"Glad you finally caught up with me," he said, throwing an arm around her shoulder as he sat down beside her. "I at last have some decent company to spend these long hours with!"

"My company's decent, you say?" Victoire swooned. "Why Teddy, I think that may be the most generous compliment you've ever indulged! But I'm curious - what do they even do at these 'parties?'"

"It varies. Musical Chairs, drinking games, Pass-The-Parcel, White T-shirt Contests, Hide-And-Seek, Seven Minutes in Heaven-"

"So a bit mellower than what I imagined, dammit," she sighed jestingly, before frowning. "Okay, I cannot get the image out of my head of Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry flirtingly having a White T-shirt Contest."

Teddy grimaced, "and what would you know about White T-shirt Parties?"

"Only what I've picked up whilst in attendance," Victoire shot back; guessing correctly that it would push his buttons, and gaining satisfaction from that.

"Victoire – what? When did you go to one of them?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She smirked. "I'll be sure to invite you next time."

"No- wait, yes, do. But I'm just picturing your dads face when you got home – what did he say?"

"Well, I didn't go back to mine afterwards, did I? And have you not heard of a Drying Charm? Second Year-"

"Hey, stop trying to change the subject. You're not implying what I think you are…? You're 18!"

"And therefore perfectly legal."

Teddy opened his mouth to protest, but was distracted momentarily when something flew smack into his head.

He turned around, bewildered, in search of the offending object, to find that it must have been the owl which was now having mail untied from its leg by his godfather. Teddy was going to call out in mock-annoyance, but paused, as he noticed that Harry's face was paling; the creases in his forehead becoming more pronounce, as his eyes flew down the page.

Normally Teddy would have ignored it, preferring to stay out of Harry's stressful work commitments. However, the parchment was distinctly green – Albus' signature colour. With all the youngsters Molly had devised a system where each of the cousins would have their own signature colour – it made putting the washing away much easier and making jumpers at Christmas also. So each year before they went away the children were gifted with their specific colour writing parchment, and to see such a fearful expression on Harry's face whilst reading a letter from his youngest son was certainly not good.

Teddy passed Victoire's' book back to her, and hurried over to him, growing increasingly concerned for the kid he considered a brother.

"What is it, Harry? Is Albus okay?"

Harry said nothing but thrust the letter into Teddy's hand, running a hand through his hair.

To Dad and most likely Mum,

There have been no disasters natural disasters, the train didn't crash, Lily's settled back in nicely and James is enjoying his personal dorm, the norm. So that aside, the reason I'm writing to you so soon isn't to tell you I've forgotten something. And I'm stalling.

Something pretty weird happened earlier on today. Not sure if you've heard but Professor Binns has finally retired and a specialist teacher had been called in to teach everyone about the last Wizarding war. But it's pretty much all about you, dad. As today was our first lesson, we covered 'The Prophecy', 'The Betrayal' and up until when Voldemort himself apparently tried to murder you, but the opposite happened. Professor's lying, isn't he?

I don't know, I mean, once I got over the shock (sort of got over it), it kinda made sense. The people praising us on the street, the unchartered fame, everything. Like the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

It was intense, that's all. I was am shocked that I've never been explained the actual events before – supposing what we were taught is true, right? If it is then I guess I'm kind of upset because everyone else in the class seemed to know more than I did about what had happened, which is humiliating, confusing and, well, kind of belittling that they know more about my family than I do.

Lily hasn't yet had a lesson, but I know from Fred that the seventh years did on Friday morning (it's Saturday night for me right now), and that they got through more than us – right up through your childhood to just before you got your Hogwarts letter. Fred wouldn't tell me too much about it, but I know that James has refused to speak to anybody since and skipped the rest of his lessons yesterday. He even promised to meet Lily and blew her off. and I'm not telling you this to grass on him, but because, so what I'm really saying is, I think that it would be best if

I guess I'm just confused and usually I'll come to you about this stuff because you're the only one I've ever felt like I could – but now I don't even know If I can should. Will I get an honest reply? Or will you continue to hide things from me?

I know that Rose thinks I'm overreacting, but I don't think that I am. I guess I just want to know if I have any more surprises to look forward to next lesson. I get how betrayed James is feeling right now and we'd much rather have heard all of this from you. Ten years ago.

Albus.

Teddy glanced up at Harry, worried. Harry had been the best second dad that he could have asked for; that his mum and dad could have asked for, and he knew he was lucky. Ever since Harry was 18 he had Teddy over Saturday night and would take him places on the Sunday; a thirst to prove that he could be there for Teddy. As his grandmother had grown older, Teddy begun to stay over at Harry's more often; by the time he started Hogwarts he was on four nights a week with three young children of his own, and he always felt at home; welcome, and never like an inconvenience.

Andromeda was great at supplying information on his mother, but had limited knowledge about his father. So upon asking his godfather questions, Harry had been very understanding and empathetic to the situation, lying down on Teddy's bed on those Saturday nights until dawn, explaining in full detail every little thing he knew of Remus Lupin, and then going above and beyond in getting more tales and photos and the like from his fathers' old friends. It was little things that Teddy loved to hear, like how Sirius had told Harry that Remus was actually an excellent Quidditch player, but he never tried out because being in the spotlight means more attention and more questions, and Remus didn't like questions. Or how his dad himself had once told Harry that every night before the full moon, James let Remus share his bed. Apparently they never spoke about it, but it ended up just being habit. They thought no one knew but Sirius had butted in at that point and told Harry that he could always hear James whispering at his dad to hurry up and get in. Lily also walked in on them still cuddling in the morning of their Seventh Year. Sirius had to explain that they were in fact not gay together and just having 'pre moon cuddles'. Then Harry had given the Marauders Map to Teddy (which he had then passed onto Albus upon graduation), knowing that it would mean the same to him, to have something that had once belonged to his father, evidence of the happiest time of his life. Harry just got it.

However, Teddy knew that Harry and the Weasley's had made the decision to give the children the problem free childhood that they never knew, and shaded the worst, horrific parts of their own pasts, only divulging the necessary bare minimum; satiating their questions, until they were adults and not having this knowledge would be a disadvantage in knowing how the world worked.

It was when Teddy left Hogwarts – was officially an adult - that Harry had sat him down and explained everything in detail because, Harry explained, he had now had the innocent childhood that Harry himself had never had. Victoire had recently been told the same.

Looking back, Teddy was grateful that he hadn't been aware of the true horrors that had rocked his world, and upon reflection thought that Harry had chosen a good age to divulge the information, because now he wasn't a naïve little boy going out into the world, but was aware of everything that had shaped the way they all worked today, but in a way that hadn't made him give up any childhood innocence.

He recognised that this was probably because he had heard it all from Harry, whereas Albus and James wouldn't understand this as they were hearing it all from someone else, and that aspect of trust would be gone. They were both in their mid-teens – thinking they were adults, and wouldn't understand why the harsh reality had been blocked from their view.

"They need to hear it from you," Teddy said slowly.

Harry nodded in agreement, took the letter back and muttered something urgently about finding Ginny.

"What was that about?" Victoire approached from behind him.

"Albus wrote. He said that the curriculum has changed and they have a new teacher who's drilling every little detail of the war – focusing on Harry's trials and tribulations."

"That must be awful for them," said Victoire, concerned, "it won't be as bad for Dom or Louis, because our parents weren't as involved as Uncle Harry."

"To say Albus is confused is an understatement… and it looks like James is extremely pissed as well. I'm glad they waited to tell me."

"I have mixed feelings about it," Victoire admitted. "But you can see where the boys are coming from though, right?"

"Of course I can, but surely they get why nobody would want to relive that to them?" Teddy countered, as Molly called everyone over to the long old table for dinner and they sat down beside one another somewhere in the middle.

"I don't know; they're hurting for the traumas that Uncle Harry had to suffer and fight through – it'll be easiest for them to project the pain into anger, you know?"

Teddy thought about it and smiled; "now this is why I keep a girl friend close."

"You two are finally together?!" Aunt Angelina gushed happily, happening to overhear Teddy's final few words as she sat down opposite George, beside Teddy.

"About time," smiled Audrey.

George wolf whistled, before speaking up, "who was it that bet they'd be together as soon as Vic graduated? They've just won a lot of money."

Victoire's mouth dropped open in disbelief and Teddy's eyes bulged, and they exchanged surprised, red-faced glances, before bursting out laughing in unison.

"What is zis, Victoire?" Fleur asked, from further down the table.

"I should have said 'female friend'," Teddy correctly himself, as Victoire repeatedly tried to convince the woman with exclamations of "we are not together!"

"I cannot believe they've started a betting pool about us," Victoire grumbled, as she spooned some food onto her plate, but the fond eye roll gave her away.

Teddy knew how much Victoire loved being part of a family which were closer than most. Especially since she had recently realised that this was due to their past. It didn't just include blood-relatives either, Teddy noted as he glanced down the table to where Neville and Hannah, along with Lee and Katie Jordan were laughing about something, and his own grandma was sat beside Ginny. Come to think of it, Teddy wasn't related, but he considered himself as such and was grateful of it every day.

"What's so surprising, they're a very competitive bunch. We're best friends, close as can be, boy and girl."

"The thought of you in that way though, you know, being attracted to you…"

'Ouch,' Teddy said, only half joking. He'd gotten a lot of that at school; from jealous guys who were wondering how cool, sexy Veela Victoire could be so close to awkward orphan Teddy. They figured it was just because he was two years older, and had the whole Metamorphmagus thing going for him. He distinctly remembered some girl commenting about how it would make for some very interesting role-play. Of course, it had nothing whatsoever to do with that fact that they were family friends.

Her cousins who had acknowledged what people thought of them simply presumed that it was just because 'cool, sexy, Veela Victoire' became Victoire Weasley, and 'awkward orphan Teddy' became Teddy Lupin. Teddy and Victoire, however, disagreed with this. They didn't become two different people around each other, they became one; Teddyandvictoire; working in sync, as one unit, as they had their whole lives.

"Don't tell me you don't agree."

Teddy just shrugged.

"Oh come on," Victoire laughed, "look me in the eye and tell me you think I'm attractive in a potential way."

Teddy hesitated – this was unchartered territory, but nevertheless he connected with Victoire's ice blue eyes. "I, Teddy Lupin, think that you, Victoire Weasley, are attractive in the most potential way there is." But some of the sincerity was lost in the way that Teddy made his eyes change about 15 different colours within the sentence. "And that has nothing whatsoever to do with your Veela blood," he joked, earning a hit from Victoire, "Ow – kidding!"

"Come off it," She looked down at the meat she was cutting, but Teddy still noticed with satisfaction that she hadn't managed to hide her blush.

Teddy wondered why he was pushing it, and when did this become a challenge? It had turned quite serious, so he decided to lighten the mood. "You're in denial, Victoire, my friend. You secretly fancy the pants off of me. You want the D-"

"Not like I haven't already seen your 'D'. Or did you forget that time Fred dekegged you at-"

"You can shut up now," he suggested.

"You've seen me at my worst," Victoire continued musingly.

"I've seen you at your best too," Teddy felt obliged to add, "but, out of curiosity, when would you consider to have been your worst?"

As he said it, images he saw echoed in Victoire's own eyes flashed through his mind. Of Victoire crying and sobbing and wailing in his bed for two days straight when her French grand-mere had died when she was eleven. When they went swimming in their clothes when they were fourteen and she'd got dragged out to sea. He hadn't had time to go and get Bill, and had had to go and save her himself. She had been thrust against a rock and had broken her arm, but she'd made him promise not to tell her parents as they'd tell her off for swimming in a storm and wouldn't give her as much freedom on her beloved beach. Instead he'd had to perform illegal magic to dry them both, and then take her back to his and tell his grandma that she had broken her arm from falling from a tree, and that it was his fault. When they had sat together by the lake in silence in the days following Lily's disappearance. Or when, in her Fifth Year she'd stood at the doors of the Great Hall until their eyes connected, and she turned away and he'd followed her, eventually coming to a stop in a disused classroom. He'd held her until the clock struck midnight, only gathering was that it was something to do with a boy, when she suddenly stood up and began screaming spells with tears rushing over her high cheek bones, and wouldn't stop until every single thing in the room was destroyed apart from the two of them. Or the time when-

Victoire shook her head and said lightly, "between the general ages of ten and sixteen. I was at a prolonged awkward stage."

Teddy rolled his eyes. "You didn't have an awkward stage," to which Victoire blushed prettily. He appreciated her effort at keeping the conversation light and said, "and here I was thinking you were on about the time you blew a snot bucket all over me. Or that time when your parents were away so you stayed at mine and got sick in the middle of the night. Those carrots looked really fetching all over my pyjamas."

"I have no idea what you're on about," Victoire lied, smirking.

"Look at the two of them flirting," Hermione said to Ron, smiling fondly from across the table. She for one recognised the transition from friendship to relationship and as far as she could conclude, it had been a gradual process ever since the two acknowledged they were of different genders. "Looks familiar…"

"I remember when we were like that." Ron cringed at the memories. "I feel for Teddy."

Audrey nodded. "I might still win this bet you know."

"Let's hope he can get a move on with it faster than Ron did," Hermione smirked.

Victoire, not having heard the rest of the conversation, asked what her aunt was on about.

"It only took Ron a few years and the jealousy from a few other guys asking me out before he plucked up the courage," Hermione explained to her niece.

"I asked you to the Yule Ball before anyone else!" Ron defended himself.

"If I recall," Ginny butted in, "it was very much as a last resort. Don't worry; Harry was equally oblivious at the time."

But Hermione had locked eyes with Ron, realisation flickering behind them. "It was you?"

Ron huffed in annoyance but nodded.

Teddy looked at Victoire in confusion, "it's annoying when couples do that," he said, but there was a distinct fondness in his tone, "just looked at each other and-"

"But isn't that the kind of love you want to have?" she softly cut across him, and Teddy was glad she wasn't looking at him, but past him, as he wasn't too sure of what to reply.

Teddy swivelled his head to see what Vic was fixated on, and noted that Hermione had by now flung her arms around Ron's neck and was kissing him full on the mouth.

What had happened to Victoire gipping along with him when PDA was inflicted upon them?! He voiced his concerns, and promptly a smack on the arm ensued.

"Boys!" She rolled her eyes, but then smiled mischievously. "Is this about the time when Seven Minutes in Heaven kicks off?"

Teddy laughed, before nodding in all seriousness.

"I guess I bagsie you then,' Victoire chuckled absently, but upon noticing Teddy's lingering gaze, she seemed to become more seemed flustered. "Well – yeah. I mean, we're not related."

"Am I not like a brother to you?" Teddy stuck his bottom lip out.

Victoire considered it. "No. I mean – I love you more than anything, but I've never thought of you as my brother," she paused thoughtfully and grinned, "you're more of the… annoying next door neighbour."

"The kind that you love regardless?" he asked hopefully, fluttering his eyelashes, and they chuckled together. Describing their bond as neighbourly was laughable – they were so much more than any other best friends they knew of, perhaps rivalled only by Ron and Harry, or George and Lee.

"I get it," Teddy reassured her, "I mean, after Louis, you must've really been put off wanting another brother."

Victoire grinned but didn't reply, twisting spaghetti around her fork before engulfing it unceremoniously.

When Molly coughed loudly, and Ron and Hermione finally seemed to realise that they were in company, at the dinner table, they quickly separated. Hermione tried to hide her mortification behind her curly hair, but Ron brushed it back from her face and tucked it behind her ear with a bright smile.

It was then explained that apparently Ron did indeed ask Hermione to the Yule Ball before anyone else. But once Hermione got the invitation from the "secret admirer" he was too afraid to speak up and say it was him.

Teddy had to refrain from cooing to keep hold of his masculinity.

"So, Victoire, what are your plans now you've finished school?" Percy spoke up from across the table, gaining the families attention, as they were all interested.

Victoire tensed, and Teddy knew it was because she felt drastically unsure, suddenly drowned beneath the rich head of departments surrounding her. Whilst he had always known that he wanted to work on finding ultimately finding a cure for Lycanthropy, Victoire just wanted to draw and read. She opened her mouth, Teddy figured to explain that she wasn't entirely sure – that she wanted to earn some money whilst figuring it out, when George cut across her.

"Please don't say the Ministry," he groaned jestingly, "the last thing we need is another Percy!"

There was a well-humoured laugh coming from the man in question. When the war was explained to him, nothing was left out – Teddy supposed that was part of the deal Harry had made with himself. He knew that George and Percy's relationship had suffered even more after Fred's death. On Christmas day of 1998, seven months after the war had finished, George had blown up at Percy, saying that he wished that Percy had died instead of Fred. The only response Percy gave was 'I do too.' After that the two brothers had cried into each other's arms for hours and have been the closest out of the siblings ever since.

A couple of people turned to Molly to see if she had any reaction, but after what it had bought out of Percy, she had been less encouraging of her family to work there.

After that the conversation carried on, broken by the occasionally clinking of cutlery against plates, and calls to pass the Yorkshire Puddings.

Dinner finished and the breeze had turned into something sharper, so most of the adults retreated inside to sit around the cosy fire in the living room. Andromeda, however, announced that she was tired and Teddy decided to go back with her in ten minutes. His new flat wasn't fully furnished and liveable yet – he was going to work hard after work during the week to sort it out, and knew that he would need his energy.

"You'll be round tomorrow to help me box the rest of my things up?" Teddy asked Victoire.

"Of course, remind me and again why you don't want me to help you place it?"

Teddy thought of how his room at his grandma's had turned out when Victoire had helped him redecorate it when they were nine. The hand-painted flowers and love hearts were still lining the skirting boards. "I don't need your 'woman's touch!'" he shuddered.

"Fine," Victoire stuck her bottom lip out.

"Anyway, I was wondering what you were doing next Friday night?" Teddy asked.

"Thanks. And you know me; I'll have to check my busy schedule…"

"Shut up," Teddy grinned, "I'd be willing to bet 10 Galleons that you'd have ended up reading a book with candles and a blanket on the beach."

"Gambling is unappealing, Tedster," she replied, "and you of all people can't say anything when you're usually accompanying me! I'll bet half of your sketches are of Shell beach."

"More specifically, they're of you, actually."

"What – at the beach?" Victoire asked. "Why?"

"I need proof of how boring your company is- ow, kidding! I dunno, you just look sort of – have this mesmerising expression, when you read."

Victoire snorted, "that I have got to see."

"Maybe I'll show you one day. But as a preposition for us to get out more-" Victoire snorted, "you'll be joining me at a Muggle bar."

"Why don't we just go to the Three Broomsticks?" Victoire asked.

"How cultured are you? Muggle bars are different. Everyone dances at these, apparently."

"Like a ball?" Victoire asked, confused. "Or do I bring my ballet shoes?"

Teddy almost wished he could tell her to bring her dancing shoes because he loved to watch her dance. She had done ballet up until she started Hogwarts, and she had been brilliant. She hadn't bothered to go to camps during the summer to keep up with it as it was the only time she had with her family, but sometimes she'd start dancing as they were listening to the radio in his room and he was drawing. He would pause with that sketch immediately, and flip over the page to start drawing her.

"Neither. You dress fairly casually, so not ball gowns or anything but appropriate for the evening. I asked specifically."

"Who'd you ask?"

"Uh, the girl who's taking us. That's why I'm asking you so early; she wants confirmation so she can sort out her plans."

"Do I know her?"

"No, she's a Muggle, actually. 'Name's Daisy. I've been dating her since the beginning of August. She's been asking to meet you and suggested this 'club', I think she called it."

"And why have you not mentioned her to me before, 'best friend'?" Victoire questioned in mock offense, confused as to why her heart had starting to beat more quickly.

"I didn't need everyone warning me about the dangers of hanging around a Muggle."

"Hey everyone, Teddy's going out with a Mugg-" Teddy clamped a hand over her mouth, and she licked it, causing him to jump back in disgust.

"You know, graduates usually change from when they were seven."

"You hated me at seven," Victoire pointed out.

"My point exactly," Teddy flashed he a smile. "Anyway, I stopped hating you when I was around five-"

"And the rest, as they say it, was history," Victoire said dramatically, throwing an arm out for empathies, coincidentally knocking a jug out of her grandma's hand and spilling it down herself.

Teddy burst out laughing as Molly fussed over her, trying to wring out what she could from the bottom of her dress.

"Oh dear, I'm not sure if this'll come out," Molly fussed. "Maybe if we're quick… let's go get you changed."

Victoire rolled her eyes and motioned for Teddy to come with her.

He looked at her oddly, as if stating the obvious. "I can't?"

"Teddy, we bathed together ten years ago."

"Exactly. Ten years ago."

"What's changed? Afraid of some boobies?" Victoire laughed. "I'm kidding, grandma. Teddy has a girlfriend. Wouldn't want to give her any reason to worry."

"Don't be silly, Victoire. Teddy would choose you over any girl anyway, wouldn't you now, Teddy dear?"

"Suuure," He grinned in mock sarcasm, smiling after her shaking his head fondly as Molly led his best friend away. "See you Friday!"

Thanks for reading, please let me know your opinions in a review!

I'm curious, who is your favourite next generation character, and who would you like to see more of? :)