A/N: In which Teddy and Victoire channel their inner Ron and Hermione
...
Teddy spent that night lying awake, pondering everything Neville had said. He fantasised about a conversation where he told his friends about his father, after which they exclaimed how cool werewolves were and laughed about his father's role in the Shrieking Shack's reputation.
Unfortunately, what Teddy considered a far more realistic picture, kept edging the first one out. In this version, Teddy's confession was met with looks of horror and although they tried to hide their anxieties, his friends spent less and less time with him and he was left horribly alone.
He thought of Emily Jenkins, a pretty fourth year who laughed at his jokes, was ridiculously impressed that he was a Metamorphmagus and had agreed to go to Hogsmeade with him the following weekend. He imagined she would change her mind fairly quickly if the word werewolf came into play.
No, it was definitely going to be a secret he was keeping for a while longer.
...
Teddy felt irritated as he trudged down to breakfast the following morning. He had tossed and turned all night and would much rather have stayed in bed than listen to Professor Binns drone on about Goblin Rebellions. His thoughts were deeply preoccupied as he set foot in the Great Hall, until a loud shriek jolted him back to his present surroundings.
"What does it matter if someone has been attacked by a werewolf?"
Without even looking, he knew who the voice was coming from. The sheer volume of it had made half of the student body turn around and stare. He followed their glances.
Victoire was glaring venomously at one of the fifth year Gryffindors, who looked terrified.
"It doesn't change who they are as a person!" Victoire continued to screech. "You have no right to speak about people like that!"
Teddy noticed even the staff had stopped eating to observe what was going on. Neville, who already had some experience of Victoire's temper, was making his way over. Teddy followed him.
"Er, everything alright, Miss Weasley, Mr Hodgeson?"
Daniel Hodgeson looked down at his shoes. "Fine, Sir," he mumbled.
Victoire shot Neville her brightest smile. "Of course, Professor Longbottom." It always amazed Teddy how she could go from screaming banshee one minute to sunny, starry eyed Veela the next.
"Good, good. Now I think the two of you had better be getting off to your classes. I think you have made your point very clear, Miss Weasley. I'm sure Mr Hodgeson realises that he spoke out of turn and will refrain from doing so in the future." Neville winked at Teddy, obviously relieved to have avoided a show-down and sauntered back to his breakfast.
Victoire picked up her bag to leave but Teddy grabbed her arm.
"What was that all about?"
"He was being an absolute jerk, Teddy, spouting all this dung about werewolves."
"Still, you don't have to go around screaming at people. You're not at home now, you know. You've got to start acting a bit more grown up."
He was toeing the line, he knew that. Any second now and she'd be off again.
As he expected, her face was getting redder.
"Well, someone needed to say something to him. I heard about the lesson you had yesterday. Loads of people had a big debate about it in the common room. Funny, they didn't mention anything about Teddy Lupin championing the werewolf cause."
"Don't!" Teddy warned. "Not here!"
He grabbed her arm again and pulled her from the hall, ignoring her protests and the stares of those they passed. Reaching an empty classroom, he dragged her inside.
He found himself suddenly furious at her. Everything that had been building up within him suddenly came rushing forwards. How dare she say all of those terrible things about werewolves then criticize him for not standing up for them! How dare she come to Hogwarts and start prancing around like some pretty Veela princess, then start shouting and screaming and demanding attention over an issue that needed to be treated with such caution! How dare she shut herself away in Gryffindor tower and stop being his best friend, when everything in his life felt like it was falling apart and she was the only person in the world he could be truly honest with!
"What on earth are you doing Teddy? You can't tell me what to do anymore than anyone else. What right do you have to –"
"I have every right to stop you making a fool of yourself! To stop you from saying something and making a fool out of me!"
"In case you didn't notice, I was trying to stand up for our dads!"
"Is that what you're calling it? Because from where I'm standing, it looks like a cry for attention. The whole defender of the innocent act really doesn't wash with me! I know exactly what your thoughts are on werewolves."
"How dare you! I've told you time and time again that I didn't mean it, that I know your dad was kind and lovely and brave and wonderful and...I've said I'm sorry, so many times. I mean it from the bottom of my heart. I don't know how else to make it up to you Teddy, how else I can change things. I only meant that the man who attacked my dad was cruel and vicious and-"
Her face was getting redder, her eyes angrier. Teddy didn't care. Suddenly, every negative thing he had ever heard about werewolves seemed to be her fault; it was as if those few innocent comments, said so long ago now, epitomized every reason Teddy had to be fearful of who he was, who his father was.
"It was quite clear what you meant. Is that what you think about me too? That I'm some sort of monster?"
And that was when she slapped him. A full on, hard as she could muster, loaded with feeling, slap.
"You know I've never thought that. I would never think that about you, or your dad. Your my best friend Teddy, you always have been, always will be. I'd do anything for you...I'll do anything to make this right."
Her voice had changed completely, her expression had softened. She looked...sad.
"You've got a bloody funny way of showing it!"
Teddy wasn't letting her off the hook that easily. What sort of best friend acted like she had done?
"Where have you been, Victoire? If you've been my best friend, where have you been when I needed you? When I've been lying awake night after night, plagued by nightmares, desperately needing someone to talk to? Where've you been then?"
The feeling of triumph rose within him as he saw her eyes darkening again.
"I've tried, Teddy, believe me I've tried. I came to your common room night after night, I came up to you at meal times, I sat with you for Quidditch...and you shut me out. For the first time in your life you shut me out."
"No, you pushed me away. You ran off with your Gryffindor friends, being all valiant and noble and stuck up...yes, stuck up...and you didn't want to know me. Why should a Gryffindor bother with the likes of Hufflepuff?"
"It doesn't matter-"
"Don't pretend, Victoire. You never had any intention of maintaining our friendship, ever since we got here. As soon as you had the rest of the world at your fingertips, why would you bother with me?"
"I spent time with you every chance I got! Do you have any idea what it's like, being the first Weasley back at Hogwarts? Do you have any idea what sort of reputation I have to live up to? I know your parents were war heroes, but so were my whole family. Everyone wants to know if I'm as brave as all of them; they want to know if I'm as clever as my father or if I'm as beautiful as Maman, the Triwizard Champion. They want to know if I can fly as well as Ginny and Charlie or if I'm as loyal as Ron, if I'm funny like George or studious like Percy...in fact they expect me to be all of these things and somehow I'm supposed to pull it all off!"
He couldn't believe her. Here she was, once again, trying to turn things around and make herself look like the one who was hard done by. How could he ever expect her to understand the hollowness he felt inside?
"At least you have a family. Imagine coming to Hogwarts and having to tell everyone your parents are dead. Imagine coming to Hogwarts and having to hide who your father is."
"Then tell them Teddy. Tell them that he was good and brave and that he never hurt a soul. Tell them and I'll stand by your side and hold your hand if you want and I'll defend him in any way I can."
He wanted to believe her, he really, really did yet she still had no idea how much she had hurt him. Her eyes met his and he saw the tears forming there.
She blinked them back, defiantly. "You can't spend the rest of your life sulking about something you can't change, Teddy. Stop feeling sorry for yourself and embrace who you are."
Feeling sorry for himself? His anger came rushing back as quickly as it had left him. He wasn't feeling sorry for himself! Anyway, even if he was, he would be perfectly justified because his parents were dead and his father was being unjustly criticised and it wasn't fair. He wanted to yell at her and tell her that because of a chain of events she had set off, he had started having nightmares and had spent many sleepless nights worrying about what would happen if anyone found out about his father's true identity. He wanted to rant and rave and tell her how he frequently questioned everything about himself because despite everything Harry and his grandmother had told him, he still didn't feel like he knew who he was and he was fed up of his life being one big secret.
But as he looked at her again and saw that the tears she had so desperately tried to blink away had now consumed her, he couldn't help but open out his arms to her, because who else would offer to stand by his side and face the world with him, whatever it may throw his way?
As she sobbed into his chest, tears that he knew were real tears and not ones put on for show, he realised that she had been an eleven year old girl who had made a mistake and had spent every day since determined to make up for it. She was a girl who, despite creating an aura of primness and propriety, was also brave enough to stand up for what she believed in, even if it meant making a fool out of herself. He realised that the Victoire in his arms was the girl he had grown up with; a girl who was loving and kind and was heartbroken if she upset someone else. Yes, she had her flaws, but they only made her human. Teddy considered how perfect Victoire always made herself out to be. She was the model daughter and granddaughter, the dutiful older sister, fiercely loyal and intelligent and always immaculately presented. He guessed that was a pretty big act for some to keep up.
"I'm so sorry, Teddy, for everything."
He held her tighter. "I know. Me too. "
"Can we go back to the way things were, before everything? Before Hogwarts?"
"I'd like that."
A warm feeling suddenly spread through his chest. Everything felt as if it was going to be alright.
...
On their next train journey home, Victoire joined him in his carriage, as promised. Teddy steeled himself as he prepared to broach the subject of his father.
"There's something I need to tell you, about my dad," he began.
The others their conversations and turned to look at him.
Teddy took a deep breath. "The thing is, he was a-"
"Werewolf." Josh completed.
Teddy blinked at him and looked around at the others, who met his gaze with bashful expressions.
"We know, mate." Aiden confessed. "Have done since first year, ever since we found out who you were...with Harry and all that. Our parents knew who he was. Told us about how brave he'd been. You should be proud of him."
"You...you don't mind? You're not scared of me or anything?"
Josh laughed. "Course not. How many times have we told you how cool it is that you're related to so many heroes?"
Teddy beamed and turned hopefully to Emily, who, to his relief, was smiling.
"You knew too?"
She nodded and pulled a revised edition of 'Hogwarts: A History' out of her bag. "It's all in here. I can't believe you haven't read it, Teddy. There's lots about Harry in here, and about your family too, Victoire."
Victoire smiled politely. "Right, I'm going to go and find Millie. I'll see you on the platform, Teddy."
Teddy watched her go. For some reason she hadn't quite warmed to Emily as much as he'd have hoped. Ah well, there was time yet. He smiled at those in the carriage around him. For the first time in ages, he felt well and truly content.
