First of all, please let me say thank you to my amazing reviewers once again! I know this might get annoying, but I love you guys! Moonfairy00, PJO-Blue-cookies (Only two now! Very excited!), twilightlover427, and Chuu112 - you're all epic and I hope you all love this chapter and the ones to come in the next few days of which I've already written two and a half!

Second, because this has to be done - I can't believe I haven't updated since last year! (Or since 27/12/15 if you're more mature than I am about those kinds of jokes!)

Third, thank you to all my new and old followers and favourite(-ers?)! You're the best, thank you for continuing to read my story!

Chapter Twenty-Six

I'm making breakfast to say sorry… Part of me thinks maybe I shouldn't be sorry… I mean, he did keep that from me, and it caused me pain, and in the end I didn't actually end up arguing my point completely anyway.

The rest of me is in a perpetual state of being on the verge of packing my bags and escaping back to Hogwarts for the rest of this term before I inevitably get my wand removed for not being able to face Teddy long enough to get married to him.

The bacon is nearly ready. When its done I'll plate it all and take it up to him, I mean its hardly more than he's been doing for me since I got here, and cooking one meal will hardly even the score, but... I woke up this morning with nothing more than a mild stomach ache after all I'd had to drink last night, but even this I know from Lily is not a normal reaction to having a little too much alcohol in the system.

I hate to think what sort of reaction Teddy might have had to the drink this morning if he's anything like Lily's described her brothers being like after parties. I've never really had to face the girls in my dorm after they've been drunk the night before as I know to make myself scarce early in general.

I found a hangover potion in the cupboard Teddy pointed out the other day to hold basic household potions and books about corresponding spells. That goes on the tray along with a pot of tea and a couple of mugs, with the now magically plated breakfast following.

I decide to make the gesture of bringing up the pot without magic and have to be careful to look where I'm going so I don't trip on the now more familiar stairs or in the opposite side of the corridor to where I usually venture.

Now standing in front of the door to the room Teddy had pointed out as being his own, a the fear of facing him and having a conversation about what happened last night grips me, and I'd much rather therefore become a muggle than knock on the door.

As it is, I don't get a chance to ponder over this anxiety for more than a couple of seconds in the end. I must have made more noise than I thought, because a topless and very dishevelled Teddy opens the door, and I stand there practically spluttering in his face for a second as he peers bleary eyed at me.

When he notices the tray, his eyes take on a more owlish quality, and he looks behind him into his room, which I can't see into with his sheer height and breath of shoulder. A second later, he seems to decide that I can be granted entry into a room he might never have asked me into, and turns to the side, motioning for me to pass him and go on in.

At least, that's what I take his gesture and grunt to mean. As I pass, he grabs the potion from the tray and then carefully closes the door behind us, wincing as it clicks shut.

A few moments later, potion downed and obviously starting to work, Teddy clears a little space on the table in his room for the tray and doesn't glare quite as strongly when the tray makes a little thump as I place it, not quite as carefully as he would have I presume.

'Did you already have one of these?' He asks, his voice low and raspy, looking between me and the half empty bottle. It's comical really, you can see from his look that he'd prefer to be drinking the entire thing in order to completely cure himself, but at the same time he'd not be willing to have me suffer because of it.

'No…' I murmur quietly, not wanting to disturb his head, and half glancing around his room. When I say he had to clear a space, I don't mean he had to do so because there were clothes all over the place like I would have at home, but rather because of all the parchment, broom equipment, and books lying around. The three books in my eye line at the moment have various pieces of paper stuffed into them with different notes, and there are at least five sheets entitled possible speeches.

When Teddy's eyes grow even larger and he makes a horrified noise, thrusting the potion in my direction, which does make me laugh, and earns me that glare that I deserved earlier for the mild thump on the table. If he was Albus, or so Lily tells me, I would have been hexed into silence by now.

'No, I haven't because I don't need it, I-'

'That's ridiculous, of course you need it. You need to have some before you end up being sick everywhere or crying because your headache's so bad – don't look at me like that, we've all been there.' He tells me in a confused and exasperated tone which is more pronounced by the gravel in his voice from sleep.

'I don't get hangovers.' I tell him simply, trying to keep my voice quiet so that I don't disturb his head too much in case he's in the midst of one of the headaches he described.

'Don't get!?' He asks in shock, before tipping the glass bottle up and finishing it quickly before I change my mind, whilst gazing at me as if I've grown another head. When he takes his last gulp, he frowns at me slightly and I have to look away to avoid the fact that he looks quite so much like the type of daydream many of the girls I know would have right now.

'No,' I say slightly louder this time, reaching over to pick up one of those interesting looking speeches. When I touch one, his hand shoots out and around me to grab it from me. I drop it as if it practically scorched me as his bicep brushes my side and arm.

'Not done quite yet.' He tells me, not moving. I have to take in careful breaths to keep from shivering lest he think I'm flinching away from him again, and he doesn't appear to be bothered by our closeness or the way his breath is blowing the hair on my neck slightly.

'N-no... I mean... Of course not.' I force out, my voice breaking slightly as I reply due to his closeness. Teddy looks into my eyes for a few moments, his hair black, eyes his own. I know I'm staring, but I can't help it as our eyes hold and I don't want to break the stare.

'You know that made absolutely no sense at all right?' He asks suddenly, smiling at me as he takes a step back and turns to pick up the teapot and pour some of the steaming liquid into both the cups. He hands me one, completely oblivious, and leaves his on the tray for a second in order to grab a thin jumper and pulling it over his head.

I don't reply, trying to casually sip from my tea and look cool... Or something... I lose any chance of looking casual as I burn my tongue and wince. Teddy doesn't seem to notice though, taking a big gulp of his and sighing as he gets warmed through.

'What's the time?' He asks, gathering a couple more items of clothing from his chest of drawers with one hand, finishing the tea in his other.

'Nine,' I tell him, trying not to stare at his back as the thin material stretches over his torso. Maybe it wasn't the alcohol last night, maybe I'm becoming a little pervy. Oh god, I'm turning into that girl in fifth year who is always trying to get in to the Quidditch team changing rooms after practices and games? I have to force my eyes away and pretend to fuss over the tray for a second even though there's absolutely nothing to do.

'Nine!?' Teddy scoffs almost in disgust as he straightens up and waves his wand. In a split second he's completely dressed for the day. I mean... Seriously, I looked over when he scoffed, and with an intricate movement his clothes have been replaced with not a single piece of skin being revealed.

'Can you teach me how to do that?' I ask, never having seen that before, also trying to deflect his obvious disgust at the time. I receive an odd look in response before visibly gulps and coughs slightly.

'No, not for at least-least a couple of years.' He tells me, and when I frown in response, feeling my eyes grow sad as I look away, he clears his throat as if to continue. 'Its very easy to get wrong is all... And everyone ends up completely… ahem… erm… at least three times before they get it.' He forces this out quickly, but as my eyes widen and snap to him, he seems to be blushing slightly, completely at odds with his usual cool demeanour.

'Who taught you then?' I blurt out without thinking, ignoring the fact that he never really told me what happens at least three times before you can master the spell. Teddy doesn't reply at first, grabbing the tray and turning towards the door, refusing to look at me.

'Harry. He laughed.' I can't help it, I laugh a little myself at the disgruntled tone and have to bite my lip when he mock glares over his shoulder at me in order to stop. 'Not funny Amelie.I was fifteen and wanted to be an Auror... Think the experience probably changed my mind if I'm honest. I mean, he taught it to me but then turned around every time I tried it until I got it right. Even then, I got my clothes on backwards for two weeks before I could master it.'

I clamp down on my bottom lip to stop myself from laughing again as he mutters this last bit under his breath. I only catch it because he's waving me through the door at the time.


After breakfast, which mostly consisted of me trying to eat and also trying not to look at Teddy too much in case he noticed me staring and realised how much I appreciated the efforts of his t shirt and cardigan to conceal and accent his muscles. Teddy finished his in record time and has been sitting, sipping his tea for a few minutes.

When the Daily Prophet arrived, he just waved the owl over to the table where it dropped its burden before hopping over to take a much needed owl treat from a small dispenser I hadn't noticed on the wall.

I'm not sure I want to know what it says today… At least not until later when I'm maybe less nervous about the conversation we're undoubtedly going to have soon.

'Maybe you're just still drunk.' Teddy says suddenly, and I snap my eyes up from where I was failing not to work out what the locket he's wearing, now hidden by his top, is symbolising.

'Huh?' I ask, articulate as ever. This makes him chuckle and then roll his eyes in a long suffering way a little like Harry.

'I saidmaybe you're still drunk. Maybe that's why you don't have a hangover, you're not as hungry as most people, and you're staring at my collarbone as if it holds the answers to a NEWT exam.' This is accompanied with an eyebrow raise, and I know he's caught me and realises what I'm beginning to about my feelings for him. Not feelings – too early for feelings.'Or... Maybe it's because you can't look at me despite how much you're trying to pretend everything's okay.' Okay, what?

Ooooooohhhhhh!

'It is okay,' I tell him carefully, being sure to put emphasis on each word so he knows I'm telling the truth as I concentrate on clearing our plates away to the sink. I try to ignore the way my hands are shaking or the slight tremble in my voice that I hope he doesn't catch. I'm really not prepared for this talk after all.

'No, it's not.' He replies in an odd tone, and the plates pull themselves out of my hands and speed towards the sink to wash themselves. 'For one, you've practically refused to look at me since I opened my door this morning. For another, every time I try to speak to you, you seem to give me non articulate responses... And you seem to be here in flesh, but you've closed me off mentally again.'

'Excuse me?' What? Useless and unheeded tears spring to my eyes, and I have to work hard to control my face so that it takes on some semblance of normality rather than crumbling slightly at the way he's accusing me of still being drunk and then of closing off. I was trying, I just... Why can't he see that? Its only the calm but saddened tone in his voice that makes me think he's not telling me off for these things but rather asking me not to close him off.

'You're avoiding me, and I bet you'd be back at Hogwarts right now if a law wasn't making you stay long enough to get this wedding over and done with.' His voice is even throughout, but his eyes are sad. I can see them even as I avoid his gaze and I think he knows how I'm feeling about this conversation. 'I know I should have told you, and I was going to, especially after what happened in the morning yesterday, but... Argh, I don't know why, I just... I came close to telling you when I told you about Victorie's pregnancy, but I couldn't get the words together to explain, so I blurted out her secret instead of my own.'

I don't reply, just fiddle with my sleeve a little, crossing and uncrossing the fingers on my other hand. I know I'm perpetuating his beliefs, but I can't work out what to say or do, only that I need to control myself when he's going to explain what Victorie is to him.

'You've retreated from me, and I can't work out how to get you back...' He sighs and runs a hand through his hair before clenching his fists and pushing back from the table suddenly, making me look up with slightly blurry eyes. 'I'm sorry.' He says quickly, moving forwards to reach over the table to me but pulling it back when he sees my face. Teddy hangs his head before continuing under his breath, almost as if he's not quite realising I can still hear him.

'I suppose I should apologise for kissing you last night, but I can't. I kissed you because I had to and-'

'You had to?' I ask, my stomach dropping more as I hear his words. I begin to shake slightly, he must have been able to hear the pain in my voice this time... He must be annoyed about last night, and I cant work out how to say sorry in the right way because obviously even finding him attractive makes him think I hate him in some way.

'Yes.' He tells me, his voice earnest but almost pleading. 'I had to because I couldn't not - Oh for fuc- sorry. No, not you. I'm just not saying it right... I meanthat I couldn't help myself. I only meant to comfort you by kissing away your tears, but then... I... I actually kissed you, properly, and then you kept trying to push me away and- and then the cameras... And I thought for a second maybe it was just because of them that you'd done that, and I don't know what came over me but I kissed you again, and then...' He breaks off completely, his voice becoming more and more strained and upset as he rambles.

'And then?' I prompt, speaking around the lump in my throat as I know he's going to tell me that I was childish when I had a go at him, when I headed outside before that rather than speak to him... but I don't want to interrupt too much. It wouldn't do anything but harm.

'And thenI felt your tears on my face again, and you had thatlook on your face. The one you get sometimes when - when... And then you told me what you thought of me and it make me feel like a blast ended skewt-' He breaks off again, pushing his chair all the way back and standing up, seeming to shoot across the floor to stand in front of the welsh dresser. He rests his hands on it and hunches his shoulders, facing away from me for some moments before turning and leaning against it, facing me but refusing to look at anything but the floor.

'Victorie and I are friends. We've always been friends. She was the first of the Weasley-Potter children to be born, two years my junior. When I got to Hogwarts, she wrote to me constantly to find out what it was like, and I told her everything... I was a Hufflepuff, and although I'd been brought up after the war, my Nan and Harry always made sure to tell me about all the great and good that Slytherins had done over the years. I mean, by the time I went, Albus had been born and was named after a Slytherin...

'It was no surprise really that I became friends with Zephyr, I mean he was awesome, and being in Slytherin isn't a bad thing so why would it make us less likely to be friends?' He sighs heavily. 'When Victorie came to school, she became friends with all of my friends, as she should. We were close, but when she got to about fourteen, they seemed to get closer. They started going out, but in the family the Slytherin hate was still in the background and Victorie was scared they'd not accept them.

'Zephyr and Victorie seemed to think it would be a good idea, since we were so close, to tell her parents that we were together. Victorie did so as soon as we got home that summer... I was so annoyed at them for doing it without asking me, but they were my best friends so I let them. I thought I'd only have to spend the summer pretending, but then the World Cup Final came around and she made sure all the papers thought we were together too for good measure.

'Then... the lie just kind of continued... Every month I'd end up asking her if we could stop it... Every time I liked a girl or I got fed up of pretending to be her perfect boyfriend... And then I left school and Zephyr did too... It didn't stop, and they spent all the time convincing me that I had to hide them because he was a Slytherin and she was a Weasley...

'I got worse and worse at pretending, and spent longer and longer hours training. Finally, it came to that summer when I missed out on her NEWT results... I told her when she had a huge go at me for how her family was upset I hadn't been able to make it, that I wasn't going to do this any more. I told Harry the next day, and Victorie slowly told the rest of the adults in the family... And the older cousins like James – who then told their other halves like Abigail.

'I didn't talk to them for about a year until they announced their engagement and Zephyr asked me to be best man. And then we just sort of fell back into our friendship and over time I let it go.'

'But... But they usedyou.' I cut in, incredulous, the tears still evident in my voice as the lump in my throat makes them come out in a low croak. He laughs bitterly.

'They did. But they're still two of my best friends, and it took me a long time to get close to them again, but I did and they're different... I suppose... They're my friends, and I didn't tell you that so that you'd not like them... I told you so that you could maybe understand.'

I don't - 'Sorry, but I don't understand... I understand now why you didn't really tell me before when you didn't know me... But why you're telling me that they manipulated you into pretending...?' I ask, walking over to stand nearer to him, leaning against the island and feeling the tears drip down my face. I wipe them away impatiently as my face grows hot and I realise they're not just tears for myself any more, they're for him.

'They only managed that because I let them. I mean, I didn't want to, and I didn't see it then, but I do now. I only ended up in that situation because I let them manipulate me for so long. That's why I want you to tell someone about Dominique so much, because the longer you leave something, the longer you let things go, the longer they have a hold over you and the worse you'll feel.'

'I'm so sorry.' I tell him, closing the distance between us and hugging around his middle. 'But it is notyour fault Ted. It was neveryour fault that they treated you so badly!' I pull back enough to look up at him and try to convince him that my anger and tears are not as unfounded as they may seem, and are genuine. 'They made you cover for them for so long that they took your life away for a few years so that you couldn't be happy when they were!'

'It's all resolved now,' he tells me, giving me a small and now I look, fake smile and shrugging slightly. 'A long time ago in the grand scheme of things... I'm only sorry I spent so long thinking about how to tell you that I didn't do it in time.' Teddy replies, sliding an arm around my shoulders.

'Do what in time?' James asks, leaning against the door. When I turn around to look at him, and glare if I'm honest... He just grins at me and pushes off the door-jamb to pull his suitcase into the room as Abigail smiles sheepishly behind him.

'James,' Teddy sighs. 'I am not lying when I say you have one last chance to stop sneaking up on us, or in fact coming into my house using your parents keys without asking me first...One more time, and I will kick you.'

'Whoa... Didn't realise you two were having a full on thing here... Maybe we should come back later?' He asks, taking in the scene properly, probably for the first time. I mean, James Potter is not the most sensitive guy when it comes to realising when someone's putting on an emotional display.

'James... lets go put our stuff in your room eh? Leave them for a bit... Come get us when you're ready,' Abigail says, not nearly as unobservant as her other half. As they leave the room, Abigail practically dragging James out, she mouths I'm so sorry for this.

We wait until we can hear the door close loudly upstairs before we even think of returning our eyes to one another from where both pairs are stuck on the door and the hallway beyond. When we do, I have to refocus mine and Teddy gives his head a little shake as if to clear it.

'Its over Am, and the last thing I would want is for it to have any more of an impact on our relationship than it has already. I want you back is all, and I don't want this to change... To change us...' His voice is thick with the sadness that his face would never show through tears, and it makes me well up again. He pulls me to him and I settle into his warmth, thinking of nothing other than how lovely it is to be held by him. I squeeze him tight and he responds by returning the gesture and kissing the top of my head.

We stand there for a couple of minutes, just absorbing the comfort and safety in the embrace, until I can't help but break it.

'You're hot.' I receive a chuckle and his arms try to release me, but I don't let go. He murmurs an apology and still I hold on tight until his arms settle around me once more and I try to hide my face until I can finish. 'I don't mean temperature wise Ted... I mean... I... That's why I was looking at you and couldn't say anything.' Way to go, all articulate and what not...

Teddy forces me away this time and looks into my eyes, tilting my chin up to look at him when I would have looked down and away. When our eyes meet, I can't help the hopeful look I give him as he holds my gaze captive.

'I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but... I am never going to work you out, am I? You know what? I'm not going to try right now to do anything other than tell you that I'm going to kiss you now.' And I have a split second to take a breath before he does just that.