Chapter Twenty-Five
The Burrow
"Something is wrong," Fleur Weasley stated as she strode into her eldest daughters' room. Victoire looked up from her bed. Dominique and Louis had challenged their father to a game of two-on-one Quidditch and Victoire had been watching them loop and swirl over the nearby shore through her open window.
"They seem perfectly fine," Victoire replied disinterestedly, sparing her mother a quick glance before returning her attention to the beach.
"Not with them," Fleur continued, ignoring the game playing out through the window and regarding her daughter carefully. Victoire sighed. "Your fazer and I 'ave noticed."
"Noticed what?" Victoire asked, picking at a loose thread on her bedspread and pretending she had no idea what her mother was talking about.
Fleur placed the laundry she had been levitating unto Victoire's dresser and sat on the edge of her bed. Her eyes never left her daughter.
Victoire bit her lip, the not unfamiliar feeling of tears stinging her eyes. School had ended in a rush. The letter Victoire had sent that night from the owlery had been the last correspondence between Teddy and she and the annual visit to the Burrow loomed this weekend.
"Victoire, what is wrong?" Fleur asked. Victoire recognized that it was not a demand but a request. Her mother, and apparently her father, was concerned and they wanted to offer what they had always offered her: kindness and support.
What did it matter anyway? Why shouldn't I just tell her?
Teddy and she had agreed they would not tell the family until they were sure that this, whatever this was, would work out. One month ago she would have shouted it to the highest heavens, tolerated Aunt Ginny's smirks and even her father's suspicious glances.
Now however…
She couldn't even honestly tell her mother whether or not she still had a boyfriend. How could she explain any of this when she was so unsure herself? It was maddening.
And though telling her mother would change absolutely nothing, she wasn't fool enough to think that if Teddy did in fact break up with her tomorrow she would be able to get over it anytime soon. She hoped she could eventually, move on and be friends, but not quickly enough to hide her disappointment from the people who cared about her the most. And that most certainly included her mother.
So, no telling her mother would change absolutely nothing, except it might make her feel just a tad bit better…
Victoire had been staring over Fleur's shoulder, her lip near numb from holding it between her teeth, her eyes moistened from unshed tears.
"I'm sorry, Maman," Victoire mumbled, slightly embarrassed by how thick her voice had become.
"Nonsense," Fleur said softly, moving closer to her daughter and putting an arm around her shoulder. Victoire snuggled into her and released a strangled breath. "There is no need for apologies. We 'ave just been worried for you."
Victoire nodded into her shoulder.
"Do you want to tell me what is bothering you?" Fleur stroked the hair that had fallen into Victoire's face past her shoulder. Victoire felt herself nod once more before she even realized what she was admitting. She took a deep breath and sat up, leaning heavily into her headboard.
"Teddy and I started seeing each other," Victoire started simply, pausing to glance nervously at her mother. If Fleur was shocked, she hid it well.
"I see," Fleur said softly. She held her daughter's gaze, encouraging her to continue. Victoire cleared her throat.
I may as well start from the beginning…
"We decided to give it a try around Christmas time," Victoire began, directing her stare to her knees, which she had drawn up to her chest protectively. "Everything was going well until about a month ago. It had been… Oh Maman! It was… just… indescribable."
Fleur reached out a hand to her daughter and Victoire was horrified to realize she had begun to cry again. The burning feeling of anger began to boil in her chest. She hated that he could make her feel this way.
"What 'appened last month?"
"Things started to get serious," Victoire admitted, sniffing lightly. She saw Fleur stiffen at her admission and suddenly realized how that may sound to a mother. Victoire laughed for the first time in a long while.
"No, Maman, nothing like that!"
"Oh, thank goodness." Fleur released a breath. Victoire rolled her eyes. "Not zat we couldn't talk about sex… if you wanted—"
"Mum! No! Really, it wasn't about that," Victoire stammered through her blush, hurrying to explain the real cause behind her distress. "Look, it's… it's hard to explain."
Fleur nodded at her to continue.
"He, that is, we were…"
Oh Merlin! How am I supposed to explain this to my mother?
"He told me we needed to slow down a bit until we figured out what we were, which I thought was a bit odd because really we're Teddy and Victoire. Nothing much had changed in our relationship except we were both more honest about our feelings and of course the snog— well, we obviously…"
Fleur held up a hand. "I understand."
"Right, so then he started in with some rubbish about his werewolf blood and how things would be so hard for us, how he couldn't guarantee that the werewolf blood wouldn't affect our children." Now Fleur's eyebrows rose dramatically, but she didn't interrupt. "I told him he was ridiculous, that I didn't care if he was part werewolf and that anyone would be lucky to have him as a father, or as a… a husband."
Victoire paused and drew a breath. Her mother looked slightly flustered and Victoire was quite sure that when she had initiated this conversation, she was not anticipating her eldest to be discussing issues regarding her future grandchildren.
"So, that was on my birthday, he had visited Hogsmeade that day, and we had left it kind of open ended." Victoire snorted. "Which, I now realize, was completely daft because it took him eight days to finally write me and tell me we had to continue the discussion and we would be doing so at the Burrow. Now it's been over a month and I couldn't honestly even say if we're dating or not anymore. And it's all so stupid, Maman! He's just so infuriating! Doesn't my opinion matter at all? If I say it doesn't matter, then it shouldn't!"
"Oh, mon petite, 'e is just like 'is fazer." Fleur shook her head, a far away nostalgic look gracing her face. It was a look Victoire recognized from the many times her parents reminisced about the war.
"I know, but am I enough like his mother?" Victoire muttered softly.
Fleur looked up, considering. "Is zat what you really want? You are very young, are you sure Teddy—"
"You were only a year older than I when you met Papa, and yes, it's absolutely what I want," Victoire interrupted firmly. "I love him, Maman."
Fleur's eyes misted ever so slightly but she nodded. "I 'ad always thought so." Fleur laughed her tinkling laugh. "It was always so much fun to tease your fazer about it!"
"There may not be much to tease about anymore," Victoire said sadly, picking at the loose thread on her duvet once more.
Fleur sniffed. "I doubt zat very much. It is something with werewolfs. Your fazer tried zat same logic with me."
Victoire knew how much that bite from Fenrir Greyback had affected her father throughout the years. Though he wasn't, strictly speaking, a werewolf, he did have some wolfish tendencies, including enjoying what Victoire had always thought to be a disgustingly rare steak and abject restlessness during a full moon. She looked up at her mother hopefully. "What did you tell him?"
"The same thing you told Teddy. It wasn't until we found out about you zat 'e truly panicked."
"Me?" Victoire's eyebrows shot up. She had never heard this before.
"Oui," Fleur continued, nodding. "I went immediately to your Aunt 'Ermione. Muggles study genetics, I 'ad remembered my 'eadmistress talk about it. 'Ermione had read on the topic, of course, and did some research for us. There have been no documented cases of werewolfism being passed through the generations, though it would be hard to track seeing zat they keep to themselves. However, it seems Veela blood is passed on almost always. Your aunt explained that Veela traits were dominant, meaning that it would be more likely that our children will become stunningly beautiful rather than werewolves."
Victoire didn't know quite what to say.
Did Teddy know any of this?
"And, of course, in Teddy and your situation, with the combination of metamorphagus and Veela blood… I'm quite certain you 'ave little to worry about."
Victoire felt a smile tug at the corners of her mouth. This solved it, didn't it?
"'Owever," Fleur continued and Victoire felt her impending smile slip at her mother's tone. "Even knowing all this, your fazer was still terrified. And Teddy's fazer left his wife before Teddy was born."
Victoire gasped. She knew she had never heard that before.
"He couldn't! How could anyone leave their pregnant wife?"
And especially Teddy's father…
She knew his parents had fought, even to the point of splitting up when they were first dating. But he wouldn't have left once he knew about his son, not when everyone always says how much like his father Teddy was…
"He did." Fleur smiled sadly. "Grandmum Weasley scolded him and your Uncle 'Arry…" Fleur trailed off, shaking her head. "Regardless, he obviously went back to his wife and he was the 'appiest man alive when his son was born."
Victoire nodded slowly. She was sure it would have been different for them both had Teddy's parents lived. His father would have been able to talk to him about this, just like her mother was talking to her. It struck her as odd that the one man who had already been through what Teddy was going through would be her own father.
"Thanks Maman," Victoire said, smiling as she straightened up on the bed. Fleur pat her hand before rising.
"Pas de quoi," Fleur replied with a genuine smile.
"Maman?" Victoire called as her mother reached the door. Fleur turned expectantly. "You're going to tell Dad, aren't you?"
"I always tell your fazer everything." Fleur regarded her before adding, "But should I wait just a bit?"
"Yes, please Mum, I still don't know where this is going and it's bad enough for my mum and," Victoire rolled her eyes, deciding to ignore the fact that she couldn't ever seem to stop rambling, "I'm sure Aunt Ginny will have figured it out by now and then Dom and Louis and—"
"Victoire, I understand," Fleur interrupted, looking as though she were biting back a smile. "But do not make me lie to 'im for too long, mon cherie."
"I won't Maman, I promise." Victoire sighed in relief. Her father knowing and sending Teddy (what he would undoubtedly think to be covert) looks all day tomorrow would not help to quell her nerves. Fleur pursed her lips and Victoire had the feeling she was trying not to laugh as she walked through the doorway.
Her mother had certainly helped put the situation into perspective for her. Now she at least had a better idea of what was plaguing Teddy and her mother had given her the ammunition with which to fight for him. And she knew that was exactly what she would do when she saw him: fight for him.
~*~
"He is such a fucking bastard!" Victoire muttered angrily as she stormed from the garden to the Burrow's kitchen, swiping mashed potatoes off her cheek as she went. The offending food flung unto the ground with a smack.
"Vicki! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"
Victoire turned, not realizing until that moment that her younger cousin had been following her. Lily looked near tears as she ran up to her. Victoire bit the inside of her cheek, willing the anger rising within her to quell. It wasn't Lily's fault she was so upset.
It was that bleeding arsehole's fault!
"Oh, Lily, it's fine," Victoire soothed, swallowing heavily.
"It's not, I meant to hit Al! And now you have potatoes everywhere!" The eight-year-old looked truly in distress so Victoire bent low to speak to her.
"I know Lily and it's alright, no harm done. I'll just go wash up." Victoire hugged her cousin and heard her sniff lightly.
"Come on, Lily, go apologize to your brother now," Ginny called, walking towards the pair from the garden. "I'll help Vicki get cleaned up." Lily nodded before running back to the garden.
"Alright?" Ginny asked, eyeing her niece.
"Fine," Victoire sighed, turning back to the Burrow. The day had started out well enough. Victoire had been nervous about seeing Teddy again, but after speaking with her mother she had decided how she was going to handle things. Katie had come to stay for the week, her parents were vacationing in France, and if one thing helped to really quell her nerves it was Katie. She and Louis had yet to talk about what had been going on with them, though it was painfully obvious to everyone else, considering how they acted around one another. Victoire even caught Dominique wincing into her cereal at their forced conversation that morning at breakfast.
But the day started to unravel once she had arrived at the Burrow.
She had apparated straight to the garden and immediately found Teddy. He was sitting with James, who was flailing his arms about, talking animatedly. Teddy caught her eye, opened his mouth and, for a moment, Victoire thought he was going to shout across the garden at her. Instead, he shut his mouth and returned his attention to James. Victoire had bit her lip and turned towards the rest of the family, thinking that maybe he just wanted to wait until they were alone.
She had spent the next few hours clinging to the edges of the garden, separating herself from her cousins whenever she saw Teddy approaching, and avoiding the pick-up game of Quidditch in an attempt to make herself available. But by the time Grandmum Weasley called the family to the table for dinner, Victoire had started to lose hope.
He had said they would talk at the Burrow, right? And true, he couldn't have picked a more horrible place to try and have a conversation, but if this is where he wanted to talk, why wasn't he talking? He wasn't asking her for a moment alone, he wasn't pulling her off to the side; in fact, he hadn't said one word to her in the hours she had been there.
What the hell is he playing at?
Victoire had sat down to dinner with the feeling of a lead weight dropping in her stomach. Dominique and Katie had squeezed in on either side and Victoire felt her sister clutch her hand. She didn't even look up at them, choosing instead to focus on her plate of food. She didn't want to see the understanding and pity that she knew she would find if she met eyes with either of them. She was likewise avoiding her mother's gaze, which she had felt upon her several times throughout the day. She had never felt so pathetic.
It was halfway through the meal that her depression spread quickly into anger. Teddy sat just down the table from her and had not even looked her way. He was chatting amicably with her uncles and even laughing.
"C'mon Ted," Uncle George teased. "No girl yet? You're not a nancy boy, are you?"
"George Weasley!" Molly had shouted down the table. "Leave that boy alone!"
Victoire inhaled sharply and then bit the inside of her cheek.
How dare he do this to me! And in front of the family! Not talking for over a month, does he really expect me to just sit like a good girl and wait? Well, he could just piss off!
Victoire opened her mouth angrily, intending to say those very same things to Teddy, to hell with the onlookers, when a large glop of mashed potatoes connected with her cheek.
Breathing deeply, she rose from the table, muttered "Excuse me," and began to walk very fast to the Burrow. She could hear the howls of laughter echoing behind her, combined with a "Shut it, you lot!" from her Aunt Ginny.
"Rough day?" Ginny asked, bringing Victoire back to the present as she pushed open the Burrow's kitchen door.
"You could say that," Victoire muttered, storming up the stairs to the third floor landing and the bathrooms. Victoire inhaled sharply upon reaching the third floor. It was the first time she had been there since she and Teddy had kissed and he had left her sobbing on the floor.
"Well I'm sure as hell not going to let that happen today!" Victoire thought angrily as she shoved the bathroom door open, Ginny propped herself in the doorway. Victoire took one look in the mirror and nearly laughed. The mashed potatoes had mostly slid off when she swiped at her face in the garden, but the emotion splayed across her features was unmistakable.
"Bloody hell, Aunt Ginny!" she cried out, slamming her hand into the countertop and spinning to look at her aunt. "He is such an arse!"
Ginny bit her lip in an amused grin before nodding. "Most men are, dear. And Harry had far too large a hand in raising Teddy."
Victoire wasn't shocked her aunt knew what she was talking about. Ginny always seemed to be able to read her mind. And one look in the mirror told Victoire she was probably advertising her feelings for anyone with eyes and half a brain during dinner.
"How much do you know?" Victoire asked, sighing as she splashed cool water on her face. She wanted to scream and rant and knew her aunt would listen to her without scolding her for her language or volume, but there was no need to yell things if Ginny already knew about them.
"Actually, Teddy came to talk with Harry and I about it," Ginny supplied, looking slightly wary. Victoire couldn't care less that Teddy had told Harry and Ginny, it just made this conversation easier.
"So he told you all that rubbish about his effing werewolf blood and the possibility of ruining my life?" Victoire bit out, her face twisting in disgust as she remembered his ridiculous reasoning.
"Yes, that was pretty much it," Ginny confirmed, nodding as she handed Victoire a towel. "And we told him it was exactly that: a load of rubbish."
"Good." Victoire nodded, noting internally how heavy she was breathing. "Did you also tell him to avoid me completely in the place he asked for us to talk? Did you tell him to treat me with complete indifference or did some other brilliant person suggest this to him?"
"Hmm," Ginny said through raised eyebrows and a mock thoughtful expression. "No, I don't believe that was us."
"Huh, I thought not," Victoire muttered, turning once more back to the mirror before sighing. "Maybe I should just leave, I can't handle it out there anymore. It's actually probably lucky Lily hit me with the potatoes because I was just about to scream at him."
Victoire walked by her aunt and began her decent down the stairs.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Ginny said, following Victoire. "You'd just have to see him again sooner or later and it would only get more awkward."
Victoire stopped on the step and turned to her aunt, slumping into the wall, her anger fading for just a moment as she allowed her vulnerability to show. "I'm just so sick of making every first move, Aunt Ginny. I've put myself out there so many times and he just…"
Victoire trailed off as she felt tears come to her eyes. And they almost fell as she felt her aunt pull her into a hug.
"Take your time in here but don't leave. I'll make up something to tell the others about why you've been delayed." Victoire felt herself nodding before she realized it. Ginny pulled back, grabbed her hand and pulled her the rest of the way down the stairs. Victoire was glad she had wiped her tears away because as soon as she reached the landing she found Katie, Dominique, Louis, and her mother waiting there for her.
"Good," Ginny said easily. "You lot keep her here, I'll go and—"
"What? You're leaving?"
Six pairs of eyes snapped to the door as Teddy came striding in, looking slightly abashed as he took in the stares from the room.
"Hi," he said slowly, rocking back on the balls of his feet.
"Why shouldn't I?" Victoire spat out bitterly. Anger returned in full force and she didn't care at all that they had an audience.
"Hmm?" Teddy turned to Victoire, looking slightly nervous at her tone. Her family's eyes were following their verbal volley in a way that reminded Victoire of a Muggle tennis match. "Well, I thought…" Teddy trailed off, eyeing the family.
"Funny, so did I," Victoire returned.
"Victoire, can we—" Teddy gestured to the kitchen and Victoire rolled her eyes before storming ahead of him and out of the living room.
"It's been a long time," Teddy murmured softly, once they had entered the kitchen. He reached his hand out to her but Victoire only glared. Teddy took a step back and looked at his shoes.
"It has been a long time Teddy," she ground out through clenched teeth, keeping her voice low. "Over a month now, the way I see it, and I've heard from you once. Only once! And what a load of rubbish was in that note: we'll talk at the Burrow. Fat lot of talking we've done!"
"I'm sorry Victoire, maybe this wasn't the best—"
"Don't you dare start that shite again Lupin!" Victoire hissed, thinking immediately back to his confession that maybe starting their relationship hadn't been the best idea.
"I meant talking here," Teddy responded, narrowing his eyes and frowning at her. Victoire forced herself to breath slowly through her nose, willing herself to calm down and listen to him. He took her silence as permission to continue.
"I wanted to tell you that what I said last month was still true, I am scared to continue anything with you because I know if we do that this has every chance of becoming very serious."
"Teddy," Victoire interrupted, trying to swallow the lump that had risen in her throat. She found her mouth was entirely too dry and she no longer felt any anger; fear had taken up residence in her belly and was swirling about madly.
"Let me finish Victoire," Teddy held up a hand, his gaze solemn as he regarded her. She clamped her mouth shut.
"I know you said you didn't care, but I care that you would have to always wonder, always fear that our children could be… well, tainted. And it will always be very difficult for me to accept that you—"
"But, Teddy," Victoire cried out loudly, grabbing his shirt in both hands. "I don't care, I don't!"
"Victoire!" Teddy started and looked behind him at her loud tone. Victoire glanced over his shoulder; her family had just jerked their heads away, trying to look as though they had not been listening.
"Who cares about that lot, they all know already anyway!" Victoire shook Teddy's shirt and brought his gaze back to her as she heard her brother snort from the living room. "Seriously Teddy," Victoire continued, softer this time. "I don't care about all that."
"Victoire," he said softly, bringing his hand to her cheek. "Be quiet and let me finish, would you?" His hand remained on her skin and she kept her hands fisted in his shirt, but she nodded.
"I thought at first it would be terribly selfish to impose all that on you, regardless of what you said—"
"You thought?" Victoire interrupted again, unable to contain herself as hope flared and she embraced a new love for the past tense.
"Yes, you daft bird, I thought. But now, I realize it is far more selfish to take that choice away from you just so I wouldn't have to feel guilty. I trust you to make whatever decision is right for you. And, if you still think you want to give this a try with me, then… I think we should."
Teddy's thumb stroked softly down her cheek as he stared down at her.
"Are you quite through?" she asked, not at all embarrassed by how husky her voice had become. Teddy nodded and before he had time to do anything else, Victoire pressed her lips to his.
"Oi! That is my sister in there you know!"
Teddy and Victoire broke apart, Teddy chuckling as he regarded Victoire through his fringe. Victoire couldn't find it in her to care that half her family had just seen her snog Teddy Lupin. Because, finally, after so long, she now knew she would have the opportunity to do so for a very long time.
Victoire heard a loud smack.
"Ouch! Katie, what was that for?" Louis muttered.
"For being a daft prat!" Katie returned, scathingly.
"But—" Another loud smack sounded. "Nicki! What the hell?"
"You are a daft prat, Louis," Dominique said with ease. Victoire heard her mother and Ginny laughing.
"I guess we should…" Victoire gestured to the living room.
"Yeah," Teddy agreed, taking her elbow. "So your mum knows, hmm?"
"You nearly drove me out of my mind, I had to tell someone!" Victoire retorted. "Besides, she and Dad noticed I was depressed."
"Victoire, I'm sorry, really, I…"
"It's alright, Teddy, just…"
"Yeah?" Teddy asked, stopping to look at her, encouraging her to continue.
"Just don't mess me around, okay?" Victoire said quietly, swallowing heavily as she looked up at him. His lips parted slightly and a look of sadness consumed his features.
"I won't," he said softly and seriously. "Not ever again, I promise." Victoire bit her lip and nodded, feeling, despite their fight, immensely safe when he pressed his lips to her forehead.
"What are you all doing in here?" came a voice that had not been amidst the group just moments before.
"Bill!" Fleur and Ginny both called out at once as Victoire and Teddy re-entered the living room.
"Did you find them?" asked Hugo as he and Fred pushed through door, dragging broomsticks.
Victoire looked through the open door and now saw nearly her entire family peering in. She felt her eyes widen in apprehension. She knew that Teddy and she were ready to tell the family, but didn't think she'd have to do so in front of quite so large an audience. Obviously Teddy felt the same way because he dropped his grip on her elbow immediately.
Victoire stood stock still, her eyes darting from her mother to her Aunt Ginny, communicating as silently and as powerfully as she could.
Please not now! Please not all of them at once!
Victoire hadn't even told her father yet. She needed to tell him before anyone else, and she preferred to do so in private.
"So, who's in?" Ron asked bluntly. The occupants of the living room all looked confused. "Last round Quidditch? Witches versus wizards?"
"Yeah, but Vicki has to play this time," snorted James from behind Harry. "Give the blokes a better shot at winning!"
"Ha! Right you are James!" called George from the lawn. Victoire heard her Aunt Angelina scold her husband.
"Well, I'm in," said Dominique, the first of everyone in the living room to recover. James and George groaned and Aunt Angelina called out, "Serves you right for picking on Victoire!"
"Vicki's in too," said Louis. "Uncle Harry go have everyone get ready on the pitch." Harry took the cue and ushered everyone out. Dominique and Katie followed, along with Ginny, though the latter winked at Victoire before leaving.
"Thanks Lou." Victoire smiled weakly and Teddy nodded.
"Don't thank me, I just wanted to give the blokes a better shot." Louis grinned cheekily before following the horde to the field.
"You 'ave to tell your fazer, Victoire," Fleur said, dropping the pretence and looking straight at her daughter.
"I know Mum, I will, just not in front of everyone," Victoire offered.
"By tomorrow night," Fleur said and this time Victoire knew it was not a request. She nodded.
"I'll come by for lunch tomorrow," Teddy said to Victoire. "That is, if it's alright?" he asked nervously, eyeing Fleur.
"You are always welcome in our home, Teddy," Fleur said warmly, communicating her approval in a matter of moments. "Now go, play your game."
Victoire smiled and left, Teddy following close behind her, not at all sure if her mother was referring to Quidditch.
A/N Okay, so countdown: two chapters left! And I'm working these next two nights so it may take a couple days to get it posted, but not too long. Thanks for all the support, it's been just so encouraging! Thanks again to I Live in a Box, who has become a shameless promoter and I love it! And just a fair warning here: the next chapter is the reason this story really had to be rated 'M.' Cheers!