"HE WHAT?" Bex and Leah exclaimed at the same time in response to hearing the climatic break Victoire had experienced.
"Keep it down, would you?" she shushed and looked around the common room, hoping their outburst hadn't attracted any eavesdroppers. When she was sure no one was listening, she turned back around to see Bex and Leah still staring at her with the same astounded expressions accompanied by goofy smiles plastered on them.
"That's brilliant, Vic!" Leah congratulated and the look on her face made Victoire feel guilty finishing the tragic tale. "Are you together now?"
"Not exactly," she sighed and grimaced, trying to find the right words. They gave her confused looks. "See, after he kissed me, he kind of…"
"Kind of what?"
"Ran away. Made some stupid excuse and bolted up the stairs to his bedroom like a criminal would after seeing a dementor!" Victoire cried, the hurt and confusion she felt that night returning to her instantly just talking about it. She covered her face with her hands so she wouldn't have to look at the pity on her friends' faces.
"I don't understand," she heard Bex say, making her chuckle heartlessly.
"And you think I do?"
"Well, what happened the next morning?" Leah tried, and Victoire could tell from the tone in her voice that she was hoping to find an explanation. "You spent the night at the Burrow, correct?"
Victoire exhaled, letting her lips flutter like a horses. "He acted as if it didn't happen, of course."
"What do you mean?"
Victoire knew they were obviously curious and were just trying to help her find answers to her own torturous questions but the memories they were bringing up weren't anything pleasant. "He was the same old cheery Teddy as always, if not more so, but he refused to look me in the eye or be alone in the same room with me for a second. He didn't exactly ignore me, but when he talked to me he seemed distracted, as if it didn't matter."
"Did you say anything to him about the previous night?" Bex raised an eyebrow, clearly thinking she had found a loophole to Victoire's problems.
"Not exactly, but-"
"Then that's what you need to do!" she declared, a smile returning to her face. "Boys are idiots, we all know that. If you don't give them a direct question, they will never know to give you the right response."
"What makes you think you know the male mind so well?" Leah chuckled.
Bex gave her a look. "You're forgetting I dated and broke up with Collin hundreds of times. He's King of the Confusing Teenage Boy Brigade."
"Yeah, in our Third year!" Leah laughed, and Victoire joined in, still unconvinced about what Bex had proposed and wanting to changed the subject. Unfortunately, her attempt was in vain.
"Seriously, Victoire, you need to do this if you every want to clarify things," Bex insisted and reached out to squeeze her hand reassuringly. "It may be difficult, but all the important things in life are."
Victoire smirked. "Well said, Plato. If I ever get him alone I'll be sure to do that, but unfortunately he's always accompanied by some mate or teammate so-"
A chorus of laughter came from the staircase that was conveniently next to the table they had occupied. It was a mixture of Ned's girlish giggle, Collin's loud cackle, and Teddy's endearing chuckle and instantly sent a wave of anxiety through Victoire's system. She shot a look of panic to Bex and Leah, who in returned began to crack up at the horrified expression on her face.
"What's so funny?" asked an intrigued Collin as he pulled up a chair to join them.
"We could ask you the same question," Victoire muttered, looking down in her lap. A forceful kick, presumably from Bex, made contact with her leg under the table and she yelped in pain. "Ow!"
"I'll catch you guys later, I need to head to the library to finish up a paper," Teddy announced and started off towards the portrait hole. Bex glared at Victoire, silently commanding her to go after him.
The pro's and con's of the situation that may arise from her chasing after him started rushing through her head faster than a snitch could. On one side, she'd get answers. On another, she was afraid of what the answers may be. But at least she wouldn't be left in suspense. Victoire sighed and pushed her chair back just as Teddy had shut the portrait hole.
"Where's she going?" she heard Ned ask the group as he joined their table as well but wasn't able to catch the reply.
"Teddy!" she called as she reached the corridor, instantly able to spot him descending the staircase in front of her from his turquoise hair standing out against the old paintings. She could have sworn she saw him hesitate but continue walking. "Will you wait up?"
"Sorry Weasley, got a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it," Teddy explained hurriedly when she caught up with him, not breaking eye contact with the invisible object in front of him. Victoire rolled her eyes.
"It'll only take a second, I just had a-"
"I'm sure Ned can help you with anything regarding homework."
"What? No, it's not about homework."
"Collin has the practice schedule, you can ask him."
"It's not about Quidditch either!" she cried and grabbed his arm, forcing him to stop and face her. He did so, reluctantly, still avoiding looking directly in her eyes. "It's about us."
Teddy laughed nervously. "Us?"
Victoire crossed her arms, defiant to his inattentive attitude. "Specifically on Christmas Eve."
Teddy looked up and ran a hand through his hair; obviously he had been dreading that would be her reply. "Listen, Weasley-"
"Why did you run away?"
"I-"
"Why did you pretend as if it didn't happen?"
"See-"
"If you're forgetting, you were the one that kissed me."
"I hadn't, okay?" Teddy snapped, his expression hardening and amber eyes blazing. "Please, don't bring it up again."
Victoire felt her heart drop in her chest and her lungs tighten. "But-"
"It was a mistake! A bloody mistake I'll be sure not to repeat in the future!" Teddy ranted, throwing his arms up in the air in agitation. He ran his hand through his hair once more and finally glanced at her, though if she blinked she would have missed it. "It didn't mean anything, Victoire, so just let it go."
"Fine," she said, trying desperately to keep her voice steady. "Sorry, to bother you then."
Victoire climbed the stairs back to the common room, hoping to maintain what was left of her dignity. She had never felt more thick in her life. A part of her had actually thought Teddy liked her, but it had been dead wrong. Teddy didn't care for her more than a friend, if anything. She had gotten her hopes up and well, look where it had led her: hopeless and disappointed.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Hours later, Teddy retreated to his dormitory to take a shower and go to sleep. He had actually finished all of his homework (which was a first) in order to distract himself from thinking about the conversation he had had with Victoire earlier that day.
Or was it a fight, considering she had been clearly upset by the end of it? The pit in his stomach seemed to grow larger just thinking about her face when it was upset. He had only risked glancing at it for a second yet the hurt expression still made him feel like a dementor had just attacked.
"This is exactly the reason you shouldn't be thinking about it," he thought to himself and kicked open the door to his bedroom to see Ned reading and Collin shining his broomstick. They looked up at him as if they had been expecting his return.
"Erm, hello," Teddy greeted them, making it clear that the odd expressions on their faces did not seem very welcoming.
"Where have you been?" Collin asked him without looking up from his broom. He sounded like the disappointed parent Teddy had never experienced.
"Library, like I said I would be," he replied, unpacking his books from his bag, sensing something was wrong.
"For five hours?"
"I had a lot of neglected homework to do, get off my back," Teddy told him harshly, looking over his shoulder.
"Really? Because I think you were doing it to hide from Victorie," Collin proclaimed and Teddy dropped the book he had been holding. He could practically see the smirk on Collin's face, even with his back turned.
"Why would I-"
"Bex told me everything, Ted." Collin put his broom down and got up from his bed, striding over to Teddy's and leaning on his bedpost. "And she didn't even have to. I know you have feelings for her."
"Who, Bex? Of course not, you git-"
"Victoire, you prat," Collin corrected and raised his eyebrows. "I know you like her, and I know you always have. You don't have to pretend anymore."
"I'm not pretending, Collin," Teddy rolled his eyes and brushed past him to reach his trunk.
"I may not be the best student, but I'm not blind, Teddy. I see how you look at her- like a man presented with a beautiful, cursed treasure, afraid to take it for himself."
"Beautiful bloody linguistics, Shakespeare," Teddy muttered.
"Aren't I right, Ned?"
"He's telling the truth, Teddy," Ned replied meekly, not looking up from his book.
"You don't know anything," Teddy snapped and slammed his trunk case shut, standing up and facing Collin. His temper had begun to rise and he tightened his fists by his sides. "Victoire is nothing more to me that a team mate who I've happened to grow up with my whole life. A good friend perhaps, but nothing more."
Collin laughed amusement. "Right, so if I went along and dated her, you wouldn't care?"
Teddy blinked but did not break his stance. "Not in the slightest."
Collin grinned devilishly and shrugged. "You've proved your point then. Excuse me then, there's someone I have to go talk to."
Collin slid past Teddy and exited the dormitory. Without another word, Teddy entered the bathroom and turned on the water before pealing off his clothes. Stepping into the hot water, he began to think.
Collin was right and Teddy knew it. The truth was, Teddy cared for Victoire in a different and more intimate way than he ever had for someone before. Everything about her was captivating and intriguing. He couldn't get her smile out of his head half the time and when he did it was because he was trying to think of something to reply to her witty banter.
But frankly, Teddy was scared as hell of his feelings. He had already lost two of the most important people in his life and he never even knew them. If he got attached to Victoire and lost her somehow, he didn't think he'd recover. So he had to distance himself. He realized this shortly after he kissed her of course.
He had given into his long-standing desires. The feelings he had before had just been amplified by the kiss and he hadn't felt anything so wonderful in years. It was like free falling with the assurance there was going to be something there to catch you.
But what if there truly wasn't anything that could catch him? The thought terrified him enough to break away from her and ignore her in every sense. It took all his willpower to reject her earlier today, but he knew it was for the best. He could get through this; his feeling wouldn't last forever and they would disappear at some point.
Hopefully.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Victoire gazed into the common room fire, feeling as though all the good in the world had been sucked out and replaced with evil, shameful memories. She took another ferocious bite of the chocolate bar that Bex had given her and wished more than anything she could erase the past two weeks and start over again.
"May I join you? Asked a pleasant voice. Victoire glanced up from her slouched position on her chair to see Collin smiling grandly down at her with his hands in his pockets. She gestured to the chair next to her and sighed. "Let me guess, you're trying to imagine Clearwater in that fireplace for assigning us the three foot scroll on Vampires, aren't you?"
Victoire chuckled despite herself and straightened up. "Something like that."
Collin's smile brightened at her laughter and that made her feel somewhat better inside. "Shouldn't you be getting some sleep?"
She shrugged. "I'd rather be down here than laying in bed, wide awake."
"It's all right, it seems you've acquired years of beauty rest already so there is no need to worry in losing any," he admitted and she felt herself blush.
"I don't need your compliments," Victoire told him, although she most definitely did.
"Since when is it a crime to tell a girl how beautiful she is?" Collin cried and leaned forward to tuck a piece of hair behind her ear. "I hope you don't mind but I've wanted to do that for a long time."
A part of Victoire knew exactly what Collin was doing. He was being charming on purpose and had some hidden motive behind it. She knew it was foolish to give into his advances, but his compliments did leave her feeling better than she did before. Although it didn't fill the holes in her, it did patch them up for the most part.
She deserved to be happy, and clearly Collin thought so to.
Victoire took a deep breath before replying. "Don't worry about it, I was hoping you would," she smirked and leaned towards him, daring to take a bite of the forbidden fruit.
….hey there.
So I know it's been a while and that's because I had serious writer's block and I may not update as often as I like (for now) but please don't abandon this story because I wouldn't be able to myself even if I wanted to (which I don't!). Trust me, there is a lot more in store for this story and I'm sure you'll want to read it.
Hope you liked the update though :D
QOTC: Were you expecting the twist and did you like it?
The last words on my deathbed will be "REVIEW" and you want to honor that don't you?
