Chapter Eleven
The Truth Hurts
As much as he had wanted to come home at the anniversary last year, he wanted to come back to Hogwarts now. He had told Victoire the truth, he wasn't mad at her. Not in the least. But he wasn't happy either. And looking at his doorway just rubbed it in his face. He was sitting in his dorm throwing a quaffle back and forth with Ollie and Tarryn, talking about their summers and just reveling in being back at school.
"You didn't ask her?"
"No, there were, extenuating circumstances shall we call them…" he said, trying to avoid the conversation.
"Yeah, his mum walked in the room right after he stuck his hand up her shirt." Ollie said, laughing and dropping the quaffle.
"I can see how that would put a damper on the situation." Tarryn said, laughing along with Ollie.
"But what I can't understand, is why you didn't ask her at the Cup? We were together the entire time."
"Well, I didn't want to ask her with you sitting there." Teddy hedged.
Ollie shrugged. "There were plenty of times you could have asked her without me being there."
"I don't see why it matters? So I haven't asked her, so what."
"She is going to get antsy eventually, she will find someone else." Tarryn said, searching his trunk for his pyjamas.
"Don't worry about me, I have plenty of time to handle my business, you two however are still both single. How am I the one getting the third degree?"
"I plan on remedying my situation in a week or so. I am asking out your cousin Lucy." Tarryn said with a nod.
"WHAT!" Teddy practically shouted.
"She is a fourth year, and hot."
"She is fourteen!"
"She will be fifteen. And my birthday falls late, I just turned sixteen a week ago." He said with a shrug.
"I swear if I find your ass with her in a hallway."
"I'd have to help him, I have spent a lot of time with his younger cousins over the years." Ollie said.
"Why didn't you help me with Vic?" Teddy blustered.
"Because Vic can take me in a heartbeat, I am scared of her."
Teddy rolled his eyes and Tarryn laughed.
"Her and Gavin were arguing on the train today." Tarryn piped up.
"Already?" Ollie said, "They waste no time."
"Can we refrain from talking about Victoire in this dorm this year?"
"Well, you will have to tell Stephen but, we can try and do that. You two fighting again?"
"No, not really, we are fine I just. We can't talk about this." He mumbled. He climbed into his bed and messed with the pillows.
"You know mate, you can just tell her that you like her." Ollie said quietly.
Teddy's head shot up. "Did everyone know that I liked her before I did?"
His roommates eyes met, "Yeah, I think so. Except, maybe her. She didn't know."
"She does now." He said miserably.
"You told her!" Tarryn nearly yelled.
"Well, I, I kind of snogged her first" he mumbled.
"Wait a minute…You snogged Victoire Weasley, hottest girl in the top three years and we are just now hearing about it?"
"And that is all you are going to hear about it. We kissed, it was great, really, really great, I asked her out. She doesn't want to break up with pretty boy."
"Head pretty boy." Ollie countered.
"What! NO! That prat cannot be head boy, My life is ruined." Teddy moaned. "She didn't want to break it off with him, she likes him more. So I am technically a free agent, though I think I am just going to do it, I am just going to ask Rhyan out. What reasons do I have not to?"
"Yeah, and hope that Prefect Victoire didn't divulge as much with her roommates as you did with us."
"Yes, that too."
"You know, you are sort of using her as a rebound girl." Tarryn said quietly, trying to avoid Teddy's glare.
"I will tell her ahead of time." Teddy murmured. "Though how, I have no idea."
"You are going to say, Hey, Rhyan, I really want you to be my girlfriend but I might be a bit mopey because Vic turned me down first. I don't think that will go over well."
"Well it is a good thing that hadn't been what I intended on saying then." Teddy rolled his eyes and threw himself back on the blankets.
How was he going to handle this one? Why couldn't anything ever just be easy? He knew the answer, he had chosen the most dramatic, high strung girl that he possibly could have found to fall in love with, and if that didn't make matters hard enough, she was his best mate. You would think after being mates for over 15 years that she wouldn't catch him off his guard. Man. Had he been wrong. Victoire always required closer attention, she could do sneaky things like make you fall in love with out you even noticing. Wait had he said that right? Made him fall in love? No, surely not, made him fall in like? Damn, this was not good, not good at all. What was he going to say to Rhyan? Not only had Vic single handedly flipped his world upside down and left it that way, she was going to destroy his quidditch team.
O0o0o0o
"You are far too quiet tonight." Rhyan said as she reached out and touched his arm.
He jumped. "What?"
"Teddy, are you alright?"
"Sure I am, my mind is just elsewhere."
"It has been since coming back. You know we have been in classes for six weeks now? I doubt you even remember the name of the new chaser and keeper that you picked at tryouts. You barely pay attention in practice, I know something is going on. You know, I am a great listener."
He looked around at the now empty common room. When had that happened?
"What time is it?"
She looked at her watch. "Close to 2:00, we are going to be exhausted for classes today. Now talk, why are you all quiet? We have been back for weeks and you have barely said two words to me Teddy, it is almost like it was before the cup match last year. We have only kissed a handful of times. I am getting a complex here. I know getting caught and grounded didn't shake you up like that. Your parents aren't that harsh, spill."
He looked at her, trying to think clearly, what was he supposed to say to her? "I kissed Victoire over the summer." He blurted.
She sat back in her seat, surveying him slowly.
"Alright."
"I am sorry." He said, dropping his head into his hands miserably, his hair flipped about, it was a dull silver/gray color.
"Teddy, we aren't exclusive. We weren't then either." She said softly.
He looked up, frowning slightly. "I know we aren't, and weren't. But we good as well were. I was going to ask you, but then… And then."
"Is this why you were so reserved with me at the cup?" she inquired.
"Yeah. I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to tell you and ruin the cup, but I didn't want to not tell you and lead you on either."
"But, I know, for a fact, that she is not dating you, she is dating Gavin still." She said, confused.
"Yes, I however did not find that out until two days before school let in."
"Ahhhh."
"I am so sorry Ry."
"I am alright. But I really, really, do like you Teddy."
"I know you do, I never questioned that. I really like you too. Why do you think I didn't just ask you to date me in the hospital wing and then break up with you when school let out? I really like you. More than I had ever liked anyone. I didn't want to hurt you, or rush anything."
"But you were going to cool it with me, for Victoire."
He wasn't sure if that had been a statement or a question. "I was."
"You like her more. It is simple as that."
He flinched. It was like having his own words thrown back at him. "But I still like you."
"Yes, I get that, and I still like you. But I like you far too much for you to put me second. I really, really, like you Teddy and if we date, seriously date, and Victoire changes her mind and wants to date you. I don't want to be left heartbroken. Surely you get that."
He sighed and ran his hand over his tired eyes. "I do, I do get that. But I still want to be with you."
"And you still want to be with her." She stated.
"Well, yes."
"You can't have both Teddy."
He huffed. "Apparently, I can't have either. See this is why I always date girls like Corrinne, this is too hard, too confusing. Fall for two girls, have to pick one, pick the wrong one, lose them both. You should always date girls that are not serious, I should have stuck to my ways." He grumbled.
"I am sorry Teddy. Do you want me to be honest?"
"Yes." He moaned. Sometimes he really hated the trait in him that valued honesty, sometimes he just wished someone would lie to him, or let him lie to them. Damn morals. He would have to talk to his parents about the way they raised him.
"I already like you too much for this not to hurt me too. But I like you enough to know that any more time with you and I am going to willingly do something neither of us ever has, and if we got to that point and you broke up with me for her. I don't know what I would do. I would be devastated. At least this way, the hurt isn't as bad."
"I didn't mean to hurt you. Last year, when we kissed, I didn't even know I really liked her. It was a sudden development."
"I know. I believe you, I do. I am sorry I have to do this. And I am sorry she stayed with Gavin. You should have come first. I am assuming that, that conversation was nearly the same as this one, only in reverse."
"Yep, but on both sides I ended up losing." He muttered.
She stood up and leaned closer to him, kissing him softly, he put his hand in the back of her mussed up hair, holding her against his lips.
"Are you sure?" he plead. His breath whisper soft against her skin.
"I am. I'm sorry." She practically whimpered. He pushed his lips harder against hers and let her go, she took a step back and he saw for the first time, the firelight flickering off of her tears.
"No Rhyan, I am. I'm so, so incredibly sorry." He said, closing his eyes and throwing his head back.
0o0o0o0o
He was being shaken awake.
"Teddy! Oi earth to the Gryffindor captain, you are going to be late to defense and you are still in yesterday's clothes!" came Ollie's voice.
He opened his eyes and looked around the common room.
"Damn it!" he said, jumping up and ruffling his hands through his lemon yellow hair. "I'll skip breakfast and meet you there." He called as he ran up to their dorm to get ready.
0o0o0o
He was half way to Defense when he saw Victoire leaning against a wall, giggling girlishly at something Gavin had said. He was leaning over her, using one hand to stable himself on the wall, the picture of laying it on thick.
"Stupid git." He muttered. Though in that moment, he couldn't be sure which one of the pair he was honestly talking about.
Knowing this was the fastest way to get to his class, and he was already running beyond late, he grudgingly walked towards them, he just had to walk by. Just walk by, not say anything just walk by. That was his mantra.
"OI, Lupin!" came Gavin's voice.
Damn it he had nearly made it past. He turned, his fists clenched and looked at the head boy, knowing that the look on his face was less than friendly.
"What." He snapped.
"Not so touchy. Classes started five minutes ago, that'll be 5 points from Gryffindor." He said with a smirk.
"You two are in the halls." Teddy pointed out.
"I am head boy, I can be in the halls whenever I want." Gavin replied.
"Right, how could I have been so daft? Can I go now? I am late for class, as you already pointed out."
"Sure, only I had a question I was wondering if I could ask?"
"Gavin, just let him be." Victoire plead, pulling on his arm, he shook her off.
Teddy couldn't resist shooting her a glare, this was all her fault.
"I saw that pretty little girlfriend of yours earlier. Her face was all splotchy and she was sniffling and looking tired, mumbling a lot of nonsense to her little Ravenclaw friend. What did you do to the poor thing? Did you try and sleep with her? Because you should know that when you are as bad in bed as you are, it will traumatize a girl."
"GAVIN!" Victoire tried to scold.
He felt his blood boil. He didn't think he had ever hated anyone the way he hated Gavin. Then again, as she stood there saying nothing in his defense, he was pretty mad at Victoire too, seeing as she was partly responsible for Rhyan's upset. He felt his hand constrict on his wand. He was trying to remember to breathe.
"Do you not remember the last quidditch match? Do you want to end up flat on your back, staring up at the rest of us competing again?" Teddy seethed.
"If I am remembering it right, you are the one that ended up in the hospital wing, not me."
Damn, he had a valid point.
"And, that was all your beaters doing. It had very little to do with you, you think you are such a big man, such a hot shot, but someone always does your dirty work for you."
"Gavin please stop." Victoire tried.
"You and your poor little girlfriend."
"I don't have a girlfriend." Teddy shot scathingly, interrupting his rant.
"Oh, is that why she was all upset, you broke another one's heart. You are such a hypocrite."
Victoire was looking at him unfathomably. She had been sure he would just go back to Rhyan. Which, admittedly, he had, after a bit, it just hadn't worked out well for him.
"NO, I will have you know I am not. I am not a hypocrite, if a girl doesn't want to be with me I don't guilt them into it.
"Is that why you think she is with me? I guilt her into it?" he said nodding to Victoire.
"I don't know why she is with you. I have yet to understand it."
"Please leave me out of this." Victoire whined, hiding her face.
"Oh yes Vic, let's leave you out of it. Merlin knows you aren't going to speak up for me for any reason right? Just sit there like a pretty trophy and let him bash all over me and I am supposed to take it because I care about you and don't want you hurt. Fuck this." He said, throwing up his hands and walking away.
"That'll be another five points!" Gavin called from behind him.
"Sod off McLaggen!" Teddy said, walking away with a rude hand gesture.
0o0o0o0o
VIctoire turned and looked at Gavin icily. "What is the matter with you?"
"He started it. He always interrupts us." He said in a silky voice, pulling her to him by her hips.
"He didn't say a word to us. In fact I am pretty certain he would have rather died than walked past us right then." She said, crossing her arms angrily.
"Don't be upset." He cooed. "I can't help it. He likes you, I know he does. He would do anything to take you from me." He said, kissing her ear softly. "I love you too much to lose you. It is my biggest fear."
"He isn't going to take me away Gavin. I think last year proved that. He has moved on, but you haven't. You have to stop, I can't take it. He is my best mate. I have known him all my life. Pleas just leave him alone." She said, resting her head on his shoulder.
"I thought I was your best mate now. I should be. You have spent the first half of your life with him, the rest is mine. You know I love you, right Tori?"
It wasn't the first time he had said those words, but it was the first time she hadn't felt her heart beat faster because of them. "I know." She said meekly.
"And you love me too right?" he pressured, nudging her face with his nose.
Had she not been thinking about the look on Teddy's face, Gavin's actions right now would have been really sweet. "I-I yes, of course I do, you know I do."
"Then meet me tonight. Down at the quidditch pitch. Show me." He said softly.
She knew what he wanted, she knew that if her and Teddy hadn't stopped themselves she would have been more than willing to go there that night, why didn't she feel ready to do that with Gavin? She had been with him for nearly a year, surely that was enough time to be with someone…
"I can't tonight. Remember, I have rounds all week. You made the schedule, silly." She said, attempting to sound playful rather than nervous.
"Saturday then, I know we are both off duties." He said, kissing her cheek.
"Alright." She said timidly.
"You know that no one will ever love you like me." He whispered.
She nodded as he kissed her cheek and took her hand. She couldn't help but wonder if that was true.