September, 2015

"Here, let me get that for you," Teddy said to the first-year who was staggering under the tremendous weight of his trunk. The boy looked gratefully at him as he swung the trunk up effortlessly over their heads. "What have you got in there, anyhow?" Teddy asked the boy. "Hardly need for your entire rock collection at Hogwarts."

A hint of a smile appeared on the boy's face, but he didn't respond; he was obviously in awe of Teddy's spiky, turquoise-coloured hair. Teddy looked up and jumped as though only noting his hair was that colour. "Blimey, when did that happen?! Oh, I'm so going to get my kid brother for this… you just stay here, and I'll be back when the train stops to help you get that down, all right?" The boy nodded and Teddy smiled, saluting as he stepped out the compartment door.

"You're so going to get your kid brother, are you?" came a soft, song-like voice from less than a foot behind him. Teddy froze in his tracks and tried to force the blush from his cheeks as he turned and smiled at the familiar face.

"The little ones need a bit of loosening up, to calm the nerves. You remember how it was in first year."

Victoire smiled softly. Teddy's hair stood at further attention. "Even when you're being entirely silly and saying things like 'blimey', you've got a rational explanation for it."

Teddy offered a small smile and shrugged. "It's the Remus in me, I suppose."

Victoire continued smiling and stepped slightly closer, closing the gap between them. "You're quite a strange gent, you know."

"You're hardly the average girl yourself."

Victoire recognized the compliment and pursed her lips slightly, keeping close eye contact with Teddy. He found himself quite unable to blink. She had the most magnificent, enchanting eyes… He could feel her breath on his lips now. "Something on your mind?" she queried, her voice barely above a whisper. Teddy swallowed hard, leaned slightly forward, and said,

"Aren't you missing your prefect orientation?"

She stood slightly back and frowned before his words sunk in and an expression of shock settled across her features. "Aie, I completely forgot!" she exclaimed. A wide grin suddenly replaced her shock. She scrunched her nose and giggled slightly before leaning forward and kissing Teddy on the cheek. He forced himself, with tremendous difficulty, to stand perfectly still. "Thanks Teddy, I think I can still make it if I run." She turned and scurried down to the end of the corridor.

"No problem," he croaked after her, hardly daring to believe he'd said that, of all things.

Victoire suddenly stopped short and turned around. "You don't have to crack jokes in order to make people feel comfortable, Teddy," she advised. "You've got a knack for doing that without even trying. Just do what's natural." With a smile and a flash of red hair, she slipped gracefully into the next car.

"You are allowed to like her, you know."

Teddy jumped and turned to regard his best friend, who was poking his head out of the next compartment with a knowing smile on his face. "You know quite well how much I like her, whether I'm allowed to or not," Teddy replied as he walked with stiff legs into the compartment, sitting down hard on the seat across from Evan.

"Sorry, slip of the tongue. What I meant was that after two years of non-stop flirtation between the two of you, it is perfectly acceptable to lean her against the wall and snog the living daylights out of her any time you want, which is basically what she was begging you to do back there, in case you missed that little exchange."

Teddy pursed his lips and stared at Evan, trying miserably not to blush. "Don't you think she's a bit young for me? I mean, really, I'm a seventh-year prefect. Hardly protocol for me to date a fifth-year…"

"Who is also a prefect. Hey, maybe it's fate!"

Teddy scowled. "Well, it certainly isn't protocol to merely lean her against a wall and 'snog the living daylights out of her'."

Evan stared blankly. "Ted, I know this is difficult for you to do, but you need to stop being so ruddy rational about this and just—"

"Do what's natural, yeah, yeah." Teddy sighed heavily and pouted in thought. "But she's so natural without even trying. Me? I can artificially manufacture a new face for myself if I want to. She's so absolutely, stunningly beautiful, and intelligent, and witty and funny and amazing without making the slightest bit of effort."

"And you effortlessly pull off the scruffy rock-star look about you that all the ladies want. I'm just the passive, sarcastic, friend-of-rock-star with abnormally large ears. You've gained yourself the keen attention of a gaggle of girls, all of whom are just dying for a cuddle with the Teddy-bear."

Teddy raised an eyebrow. "Teddy-bear?"

Evan smiled grimly. "That's what Morgan calls you." He sat up straighter and put on a falsetto voice. "'Are you meeting Teddy-bear later? Tell him hi for me, and it wouldn't hurt if you wanted to throw in a word or two about what a studmuffin he is'."

Teddy grimaced. "Did she really say studmuffin?"

"I imagine it's only a matter of time," he said tersely.

"I'm sorry, mate. Really. I'm trying to shrug her off."

Evan waved a hand. "Not your fault, really. I only blame you on Wednesdays."

Teddy smiled and fussed up his hair with one hand until it became a shorter, unkempt black mess, a style which would have reminded many of the older generation of his godfather. "It's only a matter of time before she notices you, Ev."

"Ah, but I'm 'like a brother to her', don't you know."

"Ouch."

"Alas." Evan's eyebrows suddenly shot up with inspiration. "You know, if you wanted to morph into me and one day sweep her off her feet for me, I wouldn't complain…"

"She might notice that 'you' somehow shrunk several inches overnight."

"…Ah. Yes. I forgot about that detail."

Teddy checked his watch and sighed. "I'd best head out to the prefect car soon," he muttered nervously.

"Such a burden to see that gorgeous part-Veela who wants you, I understand."

Teddy exhaled sharply in frustration and got to his feet. "This morning, my grandmother reminds me by owl post that Victoire could really use a good sweeping off her feet any time now. Ginny gets this sympathetic yet encouraging smile on her face every time my gaze lingers for just a second when Victoire leaves the room. Other than her mother, who thinks I understand less French than I do and makes frequent outbursts about what a layabout waste of space she thinks I am, I seem to be the only one who thinks that any action I take would be a bad idea right now."

"That's because the two of you together would be like a match made in heaven, Teddy. Even the fact that her mother disapproves is proof that it's meant to be. Isn't Victoire's dad like more of a rock-star wannabe than you, anyway? It's… it's more than good, Teddy, the way Victoire looks at you. It's just… right. It's natural," Evan finished simply, shrugging and peeling a banana half-heartedly. "Get used to the idea."

Teddy stood at the door of the compartment and stared at his best friend. "If being with Victoire was as natural as you say, then making the move would come easier than it is, wouldn't it."

"No, Ted. The fact that it isn't coming easy to you is the very indicator of how right it is."

Teddy stared. "That doesn't make any kind of sense."

Evan smiled. "Love never does, mate."

Teddy left the compartment without another word.

It wouldn't be for another two years that Teddy would finally lean Victoire against a wall for that long-overdue snog.