Chapter 10
A/N Pleeaaseee review! Thanks to my beta's LastMarauderofFive and felldowntherabbitholetoo !
When she awoke the light blinded her, so she kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut. She didn't want to face the day; not her annoying co worker that kept giving her fake smiles dripping with sympathy, not her disgusting boss, and certainly not her best friend. But then again, she had decided last night in bed that she was going to apologise to him the next day. And that was when it hit her. She wasn't in a bed...
The first thing Teddy did when he woke up that morning was sigh. He had been up most of the night for some strange reason, and was feeling completely drained of all energy. He wasn't even feeling like work, which was very odd. If there was one thing Teddy loved more than...well, her, it was his work. There was something about solving a case and helping to enforce the law that never failed to make Teddy's hair stand on end. He sighed again, unable to get the queasy feeling he associated with panic out of his stomach. Not even his muggle bread heating machine, "The Toaster" that Grandpa had bought him last year, could make it go away. Teddy shuffled into the sitting room, and slumped onto the small sofa. Grandpa Arthur, Grandma Molly, Harry, Ginny... he missed them all so much. And after the murder, they needed each other to help build the foundations of overcoming the grief. As much as it hurt him to be reminded of what he saw that night at Shell Cottage, Teddy wanted to make sure he was a part of the family, just as he was always encouraged to be. Ever since his Grandma died when he first started Hogwarts, Teddy had come rushing home to the open arms of Ginny and Harry. They were his parents in all but blood, and he was determined to repay them after everything they had done for him over the years. After all, he had always hated it when people looked at him with pity because of his being an orphan. If anything, he needed to repay Ginny and Harry to put his conscience at rest.
Ignoring the nagging feeling at the bottom of his stomach that just seemed to increase in its annoyance, Teddy scooped up a handful of floo powder, and dived in to the fireplace.
"The Burrow!" He yelled, and three seconds later he stepped out only to arrive surrounded by the comforting walls of home. It wasn't long before Molly Weasley hurried over to where he was, giving him a bone crunching hug. When she withdrew, Teddy thought he saw a glistening tear drop, but decided not to remark on it. Molly Weasley was just one of those people who remained strong, even in the face of death. She would always be there to pick the family up, feed them a warm meal and knit them a cosy jumper.
"Hello dear," She smiled, patting his cheek fondly, "How's my favourite metamorphmagus?"
Teddy smiled back at her, "Hi Grandma, I'm alright thanks. Is everyone doing okay?" Her smile slowly turned to a saddened frown as she remembered the traumatic events of the past two months. She hurried past him towards the kitchen, crouching down to charm some pots to clean themselves.
"Harry and Ginny are perking up, but I can't say the same for Bill. None of us have seen him since the funeral-not even Vicky... oh!" She suddenly straightened up, "Go. Upstairs." She pointed sharply to the narrow staircase and tutted, agitated at his ignorance. "Oh, for Godric's sake Teddy, dearest, the poor girl's been in pieces since Monday. Now you listen here," She said, lowering her voice whilst at the time wagging her finger frantically, "I don't know what it was you two argued about this time, but you're not to do it again. Things aren't how they used to be, so don't you go carelessly upsetting the girl. She needs all the support she can get right now, so up you go." She threw her head back in exasperation at Teddy's dumbfounded expression, "Theodore, just GO!" She wagged her finger towards the staircase once again, and with a sharp spin she had turned on her heel and was marching her way back to the kitchen. When Molly Weasley meant business, business was what she got, and Teddy was no exception. He sighed in defeat, and began to stomp his way up the stairs. It wasn't that he didn't want to face Victoire- he just had no idea what to say. They were both too stubborn to admit they were sorry, but, just as Grandma Molly had stated, things were different now.
It wasn't just Fleur's murder- other wizards could sense it too. There was a general air of anxiety, and it stifled the wizarding world. Teddy could feel it now, as he was strode towards her bedroom. The strong wave of emotions that thudded against the door staggered him...except it didn't. There was nothing behind the door, he could sense it. He was just expecting those things, and a deep crease in his brow confirmed his worry to the onlooker that was Harry Potter. Without a moment's hesitation, Teddy muttered alohamora and barged into the empty room of Victoire Weasley. All was quiet, aside from the soft billowing of fabric as the curtain fluttered teasingly against the open window.
When she opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was a rounded, concerned woman.
"Victoire Weasley?" She said in disbelief, "You're finally awake! Who on earth was that? And what, may I ask, are you doing here?" Victoire slowly sat up, aware of how much her body ached. She looked at the woman, only to realise it wasn't a woman. It was a painting.
The Fat Lady. Victoire was in Hogwarts. Confusion swept over her, as she looked around bewildered at the familiar surroundings of outside the Gryffindor common room.
"What's going on?" Victoire demanded at the empty corridor. "Is this some sort of practical joke?" She expected Fred jnr. or James to swing out of the portrait hole, laughing their heads off and pointing at her ridiculous state of anxiety. But instead, she was brought back to the situation by the sound of The Fat Lady's hysterical screams. She spun her head around sharply, only to be confronted by dark figure looming over her, blocking the light the candles emitted. But that didn't matter, because she felt herself slipping into an even darker place, where she had no control of her thoughts or body... just blackness.