The rain pounded down around Victoire as she flew through the drops. It was nearing nine o'clock and Kye couldn't have picked a worse time for practice. October had been miserable so far, the leaves falling off early except for the scarce few that clung to the branches, still red with the last shades of autumn. The sky had darkened early and as the clouds opened and the flood came down, Victoire was having a hard time keeping her thoughts cheery.

"Let's keep the passes going, come on come on!" Kye shouted over the roar of thunder in the distance. Victoire blinked through the rain that slid down her face and tried to ignore the shuddering chill of the water seeping through her robes. "Let's go Fordor, keep 'em coming!" Kye shouted through the fog, and Victoire saw out of the corner of her eye Mannix Fordor throwing quaffle after quaffle, his thin frame trembling in the cold. This was their fourth practice of the year and she was finally getting into the swing of the other players. Alli Sekhon was the clear lead of the chasers; her flight patterns clean and smooth, slicing through the air as if her broom were a blade. She was reliable and always open to pass the ball when she felt the opportunity would be right. Nelly Daravan was a decent chaser as well, but she wasn't as reliable as the others. And then there was Mannix, who was probably the most interesting out of the new additions. Where he lacked confidence, he made up for with his incredible speed and aim. He had this way with the broom that nobody could understand. He was so small and yet so unexpectedly talented that Victoire couldn't wait until their first game when he would take everyone by surprise.

But now the only thing she saw was a freezing kid. In fact, the whole team was looking the worst she'd ever seen them at so far. The rain and the freezing cold was taking their toll on them, all except for one: Kye.

"Let's go guys, things aren't gonna be any easier on game day!" he shouted over the clap of thunder that followed. Victoire could feel the bite of anger in her chest at his tone and knew that the miserable weather was getting to her. Apparently the rest of the team was feeling similarly as well. Victoire couldn't stop noticing the pissed off expression plastered on Ree Gorvitch's face as she manned the hoops against the constant pounding of quaffles. Even Harrison Lee, Kye's best friend and fellow beater was looking grim. Except the only thing they could do was wait it out.

Teddy was in the common room with the others. The fire cracked loudly by the mantel as his friends chattered and worked on their homework. Teddy stood by the window, staring out over the grounds. The rain hammered against the glass and all he could think of was Victoire and how she was handling her first storm practice. He'd had enough of them to know how terrible they were and was wondering when hers would wrap up.

"Teddy quit being anti-social and get over here!" Ginger called from her spot on the couch where she lounged next to Sean.

"Ah, leave him be." Clyde said, a smirk in his voice. "He's probably still busy pondering over his life's big question."

Teddy winced and could practically hear Ginger and Marcy raise their eyebrows in question.

"Big question?" Marcy asked, leaning forward towards her boyfriend. "Do tell."

"Ah, well I'm surprised you didn't hear about it earlier, it's been almost a month." Clyde snickered.

"Clyde." Teddy said warningly, but Clyde ignored him. "He's all hot and bothered because there's one tiny fact he doesn't know about Victoire."

"I'd imagine there's more than just one." Marcy mused, earning her a glare from Teddy's direction. "What is it?" Ginger asked, ignoring Teddy's disapproving stares. Clyde cast Teddy a look, a wicked spark in his eye as Teddy shook his head no. Clyde felt it best to ignore.

"He is unaware of Victoire's sexual experiences." Clyde said, turning his nose up with a smile. He was met with blank stares and cast his friends a look. "He doesn't know if she's a virgin." he said, exasperated.

"Ohh." Ginger nodded, leaning back in her spot just as Teddy left the window to join them. He took special care to whack Clyde in the back of the head as he passed and took a seat in one of the armchairs. Clyde winced and then proceeded to look at Marcy expectantly.

"What?" she asked, raising her eyebrows at him.

"Well? Is she?" he asked her and Marcy let out a snort. "That," Marcy said, casting a glance at Ginger, "is for us girls to know and for you to never find out."

"Oh come on." Clyde wined, pushing off from the couch and leaning into Marcy. "Teddy wants to know." he smiled, blinking his eyes at Marcy in a way that he may have thought was cute but honestly just turned out looking hilarious.

"I don't care." Teddy said suddenly from across the room. His voice was neutral but immediately one could sense that he wasn't all there. His mind was in another place. None of his friends spoke, and even though he didn't feel he had to, he continued. "I don't care if she's a virgin or not. It doesn't change anything. She's still Victoire to me."

A softer silence followed and lingered in the group, leaving not many the willingness to speak. Teddy glanced up at the clock on the mantel, it's hands clearly reading ten after ten. Most of the Gryffindors had already gone to bed as to get a good night's sleep for the next day, but Teddy was still wide awake.

"She should be back soon." Marcy said softly, breaking the silence. The others seemed to break out of their daze and nodded in agreement. Jensen got up off the couch and stretched, his back popping and a sliver of stomach suddenly visible beneath his shirt. "I'm off to bed, I think." he stated as the other boys nodded. "Yeah, I should probably be getting back too..." Ginger agreed, standing with the rest of them. And just like that the group began to disperse. "Hopefully Victoire'll be back in her room when I get there." Ginger said with a smile and a brief look at Sean as she waved and exited the portrait hole, making her way out into the corridors once again.

Teddy watched her go, the rest of his friends still lingering about, exchanging glances at one another behind his back.

"Actually..." Teddy said suddenly, watching the portrait swing shut behind Ginger. "...I've got somewhere I need to be." His friends turned to look at him, surprise on their faces.

"What? Teddy, it's after hours. You'll be caught for sure." Marcy countered, a look of concern growing on her face.

"That's if he gets caught." Clyde grinned, nodding at his friend. "Do what you gotta do, man."

Teddy nodded to his friends, almost caught up in a daze as he pushed open the portrait and disappeared through it into the black beyond. Just as it closed behind him, Jensen chuckled to himself as he turned to go.

"He's completely gone." he laughed, making his way up the stairs towards the boys dormitory.

"Head over heels." Clyde agreed, looking down at Marcy and kissing her softly. She smiled at him and he returned the look.

"So..." he said, raising an eyebrow suggestively.

"So what?" Marcy countered, her voice curious. Clyde continued to watch her happily.

"So is Victoire a virgin or not?"

"Clyde!"

Teddy rounded the final hall towards the Ravenclaw changing room. He could hear slight chatter from the far end as the corridor grew colder and colder nearing the large doors that led outside. The pounding of rain was even more evident here and as he approached he couldn't help but wonder what Kye had them working on so late in such horrible conditions. Suddenly a group of robed figures emerged from the room, all of them sopping wet. Teddy recognized them as the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, and saw right away that none of them were smiling. In fact they all looked miserable, not to mention freezing. He quickly ducked into an alcove as they pasted, hoping not to be seen sneaking about. As the group walked by he caught a snippet of their conversation.

"...hope she'll be alright." said an Indian girl whose raven braid was bunched together with water. "That crash towards the end was awful. I'm surprised she didn't break anything."

"It was all Kye's fault. I don't know what he was thinking..." muttered Harrison Lee, running a hand through his dripping hair. "He was pushing her way too hard."

Teddy felt his chest clench as he noticed that Victoire was not with this group of players. It seemed like all of them had dispersed except for Toire. This left him to wonder where she could be.

As if to answer his question, a loud sniff echoed out from the Ravenclaw change room, reverberating along the walls. It was followed by another one, quieter this time and accompanied by the drips of rain on stone floors. Teddy waited for the footsteps to recede down the hall before he stepped back out. Hesitant, he followed the wall towards the change room. Reaching the door he stopped for a moment, looking back to see if he'd missed Toire or if there was any chance of getting caught. Once deciding there wasn't, he poked his head around the corner and felt an instant chill at what he saw.

Victoire was hunched over on one of the benches in the change room, her pony tail a tangled rat's nest of rain and mud. She was preoccupied with unlacing her Quidditch boots but he could distinctly see the smears of mud and gravel on her navy robes; a particularly long grass stain running straight through her printed name on the back of her uniform. He took a step into the room, his heart nearly still as she sniffed again and wiped her nose with the back of her hand. He couldn't see her face from the angle he stood at, but noticed a long gash lining the back of one of her hands as she pulled at a stubborn knock in the laces. She inhaled a shaky breath and that was all it took for him to snap.

"Victoire." he said, taking a step towards her into the change room, his fists clenched together.

She whirled at the sound, her head twisting towards him. The moment she recognized the face she flinched back, attempting to hide was was obvious on her porcelain skin but it was too late. Teddy didn't need a second glance to see the angry red field burn that ran half the length of her cheek, even when she rounded her head to hide it.

"Oh Merlin..." she muttered under her breath, hastily trying to move her hair so it covered the mark but in an instant Teddy was there to stop her. He rounded the change room without hesitation and crouched down in front of her, getting a clear image of her face. She was avoiding his eyes deliberately but he could still see all the conflict she felt there. Her cheeks were red and ruddy with cold, but the dirty scar stood out all the same. The mud on her face was streaked in several places with what was either tears or rainwater, which exactly he wasn't sure. He could barely make out any of her freckles under the grime and when he placed a hand on her knee she pulled back.

"Bastard..." Teddy muttered under his breath just as Victoire ran a hand through her rain soaked hair.

"He's not." she countered, glancing away and wiping at her eyes angrily, confirming Teddy's doubts about the rain tears from before. "He's just persistent. It was my fault anyway, I wasn't paying attention."

"Toire, nobody could pay attention in that weather." Teddy said sternly, nodding towards the open door where beyond thunder cracked and rain poured down in buckets. "Bolton's a shit if he thinks he can get a decent practice in in that storm."

She didn't object but still wouldn't meet his eyes as he watched her. Neither of them were very aware of how close they were to each other; Teddy looking on to try and see what she was thinking all while Victoire fought to do the opposite. Eventually Teddy glanced away, but only seconds before she gave in and drew her eyes to him.

"W-what are you doing?" she asked him, shivering through her words.

"Taking care of you." he said bluntly, reaching down for her boots as she raised her eyebrows in alarm. His calloused fingers went to work on the knots in her boots at a much faster pace than her thin ones, and for once she didn't object when he loosened the footwear to pull it off.

"Did you bring a change?" he asked her, starting on the other boot as her socks dripped rain onto the floor.

"Slipped m-my m-mind." she sniffed, not before catching him get in a well exaggerated eye roll.

"H-hey." she quipped, shivering through the objection. "S-sarcasm n-not n-n-necessary."

"Well you're really in no place to stop me are you?" he countered calmly, his fingers sliding in behind her leg to slide the shoe off her foot, his finger grazing her calf as he did so.

"Merlin, you're freezing." he said, the cold from her skin sending a shock of ice through his fingertips as he stood up before her, swinging the muddy boots over his shoulder and offering her his hand.

She looked up at him, her blue eyes wide as her entire frame quivered from the chill. He couldn't begin to word how much it bothered him to see her like that, and made a silent vow to himself that the next time he met Kye Bolton there would be more then stern words shared between them.

"You going to sit there all night?." he asked, his hand still outstretched, waiting for her until she reached out to take it. Her hands were even colder on his as he pulled her up off the bench. She tried to drop her hand from his but he wasn't letting go so easy. He entwined his fingers through hers, not meeting her eyes as a blush warmed her cheeks.

"Come on." he said, taking a step towards the door but Toire hesitated. "What is it?" he asked, looking back at her as she dropped her gaze. "I m-might have p-p-possibly sprained m-my ankle." she said looking up at him through dark lashes. They're gazes held for a moment, neither of them speaking. Then all of a sudden, Teddy let out a huge laugh, echoing throughout the change room.

"Sh-shut up!" she cried, her blush getting darker as she leaned in and whacked his arm all the while his laughter grew louder.

"You're so pathetic!" he cackled, pulling her closer and wrapping one of her arms around his shoulders. "Come on, let's go." he grinned as she leaned into his shoulder. "Try a step."

Together they made their way towards the corridor, their footsteps matched with each pace. By the time they reached the first set of stairs though, Teddy's sleeve was soaked through from Toire's damp robes and he was noticing the grimace of pain she was trying to hide every time she put weight on her left foot.

"Think you can make the stairs?" Teddy asked her, glancing down at her feet as she shifted their position uncomfortably.

"O-oh yeah." she said, trying to sound nonchalant. "I g-got this." She took a step forward and Teddy let her put some of her own weight down. She let out a gasp of pain as the impact hit her ankle and in an instant he was back, supporting her side.

"Liar." he mumbled, wrapping an arm around her waist. "Come on, you're not taking these on your own." he said and the next thing she knew he had stooped down and picked her up in typical bridal threshold position.

"Teddy!"

"You love it, don't deny it." Teddy laughed, lifting her without a sweat, one arm supporting her back as the other one cradled her legs.

"What if someone comes down here? We're not supposed to be out after curfew." she objected weakly.

"Since when has that ever stopped you before?" he countered, taking the stairs two at a time as she groaned in embarrassment. "This is a bad idea..." she muttered into his shoulder as his grin grew increasingly wider. Maybe she was flustered, but in all honestly he was just enjoying the contact. He could feel the smooth curves and ridges of her body pressed against his as he readjusted his grip below her legs, the water from her robes soaking him clean through.

Once they'd reached the top of the stairs he reluctantly put her down.

"Thank you." she said bluntly, trying to hide her smile from him as he helped her along the corridor. The two of them walked in silence for quite a ways, the only sounds being their footsteps and the soft trickling of water that would occasionally run off Victoire's clothes or the back of her hair. After about five minutes of silence, Victoire raised her voice just loud enough to hear.

"Teddy..." she stated, a certain suspicion in her tone.

"Hmm?" he asked, still quite enjoying his current predicament. She cast her gaze over to him but he refused to meet it, trying too hard to hide the ever growing smile upon his face.

"Teddy, this isn't the way to the hospital wing." she stated bluntly.

He cleared his throat as a way to attempt hiding his smirk, but when she didn't buy it he spoke up again. "I know that."

"...and it isn't the way to the Ravenclaw tower." she said, her eyes narrowing in suspicion.

"I know that too." he said, casting her a mild sideways glance. "I am the current holder of the marauder's map you know." he said, testing her patience on purpose. "One would think you'd give me more credit for knowing my way about the castle."

"Teddy." she said sternly as he rolled his eyes at the tone.

"The Gryffindor tower is just closer." he mock-whined, giving her his best set of puppy dog eyes. "Come on, we're nearly there and you're soaked to the bone already. There's warmth and fire and dry clothes just around the corner." he said encouragingly.

"It's too late for this..." she muttered, but didn't object as they approached the portrait of the fat lady. She opened her eyes blearily at the sight of them and quirked on particularly plucked eyebrow.

"Bit late for a swim outdoors isn't it Ms. Weasley?" she directed at Victoire whose cheeks dropped a deeper tone of red. "Don't you two ever remember the rules?" she asked, turning her accusing eyes towards Teddy as he cast her one of his most charming grins. "Only on our worst days." he smiled. "Melancholy."

The fat lady gave a final roll of her eyes as she swung forward upon deliverance of the password and Teddy climbed in through the portrait hole first to help Victoire in on her way.

Once inside he was relieved to see the common room had finally emptied for the night, leaving the best of the armchairs free and the embers still crackling beyond the hearth.

"Come on." he said, sliding her down from the light ledge that dropped into the room. It was the first time all night he was fully aware of how alone the two of them were and how long it had been since they'd had a moment like this. Without intending it, he felt a hasty drop of nerves rebound in his stomach.

"So." came Victoire's voice from behind and he turned to see her leaning against one of the sofas, her ankle propped up in an awkward position off to the side. "This is your plan of a safe night in?" she joked, her voice losing more of its shiver as the fire heated her from the outside in. Her hair was still drenched in rain but there was a healthy glow returning to her skin as she moved closer to the flames. He raised an eyebrow at the jest and took a step back towards the boys dormitories. "Give me two seconds." he said, before disappearing up the stairs.

He took more than two seconds, granted. Victoire took another glance around the empty common room that was all too familiar to her. When she'd first gotten to Hogwarts she had longed and cherished the time she spent here with her Gryffindor friends. It reminded her of home in a way- the overstuffed furniture, the crackling flames and warm colours. The way it could seem like the warmest place in the world even on the coldest of winter nights, the charm it held upon the return from a victorious Quidditch match, even the little nicks and damages in the walls and such brought a familiar feeling from the room that had been loved and admired by so many other students over the years. Shuddering in her clothes, she made limped over to the couch closest to the fire and took a seat, trying to avoid getting the cushions too damp. She'd left her broom locked up with the others in the changeroom, not wanting to have to drag it all the way back up to her dormitory and risk waking half the castle with the clanging. Maybe she'd have time to go get in on the morrow, but for now she just concentrated on getting the feeling in her fingers back.

Reaching up to pull the elastic from her hair, her hand brushed against the angry red mark that had carved its way into her skin when she took the faceplant earlier in the evening. She'd sworn that she'd seen the snitch in the dark just hovering over the gravel, but it had turned out to be a trick of the light. A mistake Victoire had made a second too late when she lost control of her broom after a blast of thunder distracted her from pulling up in time. She ran a hand through her hair trying to get out some of the bigger knots but failing and eventually just letting it hang loose in a disaster around her head while she waited. Teddy had been gone for over five minutes now and she was almost fully warmed. What had he gone to get anyway? she wondered to herself. It was too late for anything of importance and she hoped to god he wasn't going to ask her to finish his potions essay for him. If that were the case, she might need another glass from Marcy's firewhisky stash.

There was a creaking from behind her then, a noise she associated with someone descending the steps into the common room. Sure enough only a moment or two passed before Teddy rounded into the room. He was wearing a different set of clothes- what she knew were his pyjamas actually. Plaid bottoms and a loose grey tee shirt that she knew for a fact he had put on just because he was coming back down. Under his arm he held a pile of what looked like clothes, but there were other things in the mix as well.

"What did you get?" she asked him, moving to the side of the couch to make room as he dropped the pile between then and collapsed onto the cushions.

"Necessities." he answered, grabbing the pile and laying out each thing one at a time like he was a host on a game show. Victoire pulled her feet up onto the couch and sat across from him cross legged. Catching her eye with him, Teddy pointed to each pile.

"Clothes." he said, resting a hand on the first stack. She could see a couple articles of folded clothing that mildly peaked her attention there, but he moved on. "Clean up." he said, his hand coming to rest on a towel and a face cloth accompanied by a small bowl. "Food." he finished, reaching behind him and producing two giant mugs, a package of cocoa powder and a half full bag of mini marshmallows. Her eyebrows shot up and he cast her a ridiculous smile, one that she had to return and couldn't get off her face for a few minutes.

"Wow, you come prepared." she mused, reaching for the towel and patting herself down.

"Who else is gonna look out for you?" he smiled, pulling out his wand and pointing it at the bowl. "Aguamenti." he muttered, the two of them watching as the bowl filled with clear water that shot out of the tip of his wand. Once it was full, he moved on to the two mugs, adding the hot cocoa powder and muttering another spell to heat the liquid. He dropped a handful of marshmallows into hers and passed it over.

"Thanks." she murmured, taking the mug from him. The heat immediately shot through her fingers and she felt a relief of warmth run through her as she took a drink.

"You should get that looked at tomorrow." he nodded, taking a drink from his own cup. It took her a moment to realize that he was talking about her face. Swallowing, she put down the mug and raised a hand to brush the wound gingerly. It burned against her fingers and she winced, remembering the fall.

"Here..." She looked up at Teddy who had also put his cup down and was dipping the washcloth in the water beside them. She watched him wring it out a couple times and didn't move as he raised it to her face. The cool fabric came as a relief to her skin even if it prickled in spots where he wiped the dirt off her face. After a moment or two, he simply left it there too cool her. She raised her eyes to his and felt her heart double up it's beating when she saw that he was watching her with the same intensity, the two of them locked in that constant battle of who'll-speak-first. After a minute of the silence and Teddy's steady stare, Victoire couldn't take it anymore.

"So," she said, clearing her throat just as he pulled the cloth away seemingly coming to his senses. "did you borrow the clothes from Marcy or something?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at what she hoped was a flirtatious look and not one studded with doubt and confidence issues. Teddy didn't seem to notice because at the mention of the clothes, a bashful grin came to his face and he wouldn't meet her eyes.

"Actually, they're mine." he said nonchalantly, running a hand through his hair and messing it up even more so in the light. "Marcy was sleeping."

Victoire hit him with a dead straight stare. "Yours." she repeated.

"Hey, you can stay in damp clothes all you like if they're not suitable to your standards princess." he shrugged, his grin not faltering for a second. Giving him a doubtful look, she held up one of the folded pieces of clothing which quickly unraveled in her hands. She felt a deep blush hit her square on as she realized she was holding up a pair of Teddy's boxers.

"Ack!" she squirmed, dropping the pair and kicking it towards him as he let out a laugh and leant back on the couch, smiling to himself as she stared at the underwear cautiously.

"They aren't going to bite you." he snorted, raising an eyebrow. "But I get can sweats or something if you want." he said, a flicker of self-confidence fading in his facade. Something about the way he looked at her then as if he'd gone too far with the joke was enough to make her give her head a shake. She glared at him and snatched back the boxers.

"Turn around." she ordered, and he let loose a final eyeroll before spinning in his seat to face the wall. Hastily, Victoire removed her rain soaked pants, peeling the worn fabric off her legs. Once they hit the open air they immediately spotted out in goosebumps. Not wanting to risk a moment that could embarrass the both of them forever if something went off, she decided not to remove her underwearand slipped Teddy's dry boxers on overtop of them. She reached back towards him quickly and grabbed the shirt he'd brought down- a soft grey sweater that he usually wore around the school on weekends or holidays when he didn't feel like getting fully changed. It used to be his father's she knew, and it had patches sewn into the elbows where holes had been worn through the fabric as time took its toll on them. She pulled off her muddy Quidditch robes as well as the two layered tops she wore underneath and dropped them on the ground below her so the fire could warm them up and possibly dry them off in the process. She cast a glance towards Teddy who still had his back faced to her and wondered what someone would think if they were to walk in on the two of them just then. Him, dressed for a slumber party; all tee shirts and cocoa. Her, wearing nothing but her bra and a pair of her best friend's boxers. She flushed at the thought and pulled the sweater hastily over her head. The moment her brow popped out of the neck hole she saw him turn away hastily.

"Hey, I said no peeking!" she said, pulling down the rest of the sweater as he turned around to face her.

"You were done anyway." he said, re-adjusting himself on the couch just as she did.

"You didn't know that." she said, the sleeves of the sweater falling way past her wrists so just the tips of her fingers poked out.

"True." he agreed, giving her a cocky grin accompanied by a devilish glint to his eye. "But it's not like it's something I've never seen before."

"Okay, I am not going into those conversation topics with you this late at night." she said, getting a laugh out of Teddy as he picked a marshmallow out of her hot chocolate and popped it in his mouth. He ran his tongue over his bottom lip for a brief second and she had to fight the urge to lean forwards and do it for him.

"Your face looks better." he noted, shaking her out of her daze and causing her to kick herself back to the topic at hand. She was sitting on the couch, talking to her best friend. They were drinking cocoa for Merlin's sake, not shoving their tongues down each other's throats. Get it together, Victoire. She thought to herself.

"Your hair could use a little help though." he added, smirking as she raised her eyebrows in accusation.

"You're one to talk!" she said, leaning a bit closer on the couch to get in on the heat that seemed to be radiating off of him. "You don't even own a hairbrush."

"I do so." he said, reaching over to pick at a tress of her hair. He held it up between them, the silvery blonde lock gleaming in the firelight. "They told me Veela descendants don't get bad hair days." she smiled, tugging at a knot.

"Well, compared to other people I'd say they don't." Teddy said, sliding up towards her so the two of them faced each other cross legged on the couch. "But maybe you're the exception. I always figured you had a bit of banshee in you."

"Funny, I always took you for a grindylow look alike yourself." she quipped, not letting a beat in between banter.

"Ouch." he smiled. "My people take that personally." he put a hand over his heart, feigning offence. "We grindylows are a sensitive bunch."

"Well you ought to be, your rights are so unfair." she smiled. Teddy raised an eyebrow and leaned in closer. "Our rights?" he repeated, giving her a look dripping with curiosity.

"Yes." she said, trying her hardest to hold back a smile. "The ones that don't allow you to keep a decent haircut." she said, feeling the corners of her mouth twitch before she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Oh we're back to that again are we?" Teddy said, leaning forwards to poke at her. She laughed and reached out to shove him away playfully, but he caught her arm and pulled her towards him.

"Who'll help you now once a grindylow's got you?" he said, poking her sides so that all her nerves buzzed as she squirmed and laughed against him. "No, no!" she beamed, squirming to get away but his grip was too solid. "Too much!" she laughed, squirming. "Careful, I- ow!"

A bolt of pain shot through her ankle as she bumped it on the side table. Immediately the two of them froze where they were, instantly making the position more than awkward. Teddy was nearly on his back while Victoire had somehow in an attempt to escape him, had managed to get on top of him. They were still on the couch and one of her hands was still pressed firmly to his chest, the other one held loosely in his own. Their faces couldn't have been more than inches apart. Victoire could feel his breath light on her neck and the steady thrum of his heartbeat beneath her fingers.

"You okay?" he asked, his voice quieter then she would have expected.

"Yeah." she replied, her voice barely above a whisper. Suddenly there was a clunk, and the two of their eyes shot towards the source of the sound, their faces almost brushing up against each other they were so close.

On the floor beside them, one of the mugs had tipped over and the creamy brown liquid was seeping into the rug on the floor.

"Shit!" Victoire said, jumping up and pulling out her wand. She thought she heard Teddy make a slightly disappointed sound as she pulled away, but shrugged it off as a sigh of relief for the release of her weight. Drawing out her wand, she quickly muttered a quick spell to clean up the mess. By the time she'd sat up, Teddy was watching her again and the magic that had been in that moment was gone. They faced each other awkwardly.

"It's getting pretty late." she said, glancing towards the clock at the mantel. Outside the moon was nearly full and she could hear owls hooting as they returned from their midnight hunts.

"I should probably be getting back." she said. Teddy stood up from the couch and picked up the towel, not meeting her eyes. It was almost as if he were trying to gather himself together before she left.

That's ridiculous she told herself as he turned back to her, all trace of the prior emotion gone and replaced with his usual smile.

"I'll check outside." he said, heading over to the portrait hole and leaving her to pick up the rest of her clothes. Was it just her or did the room suddenly seem colder without him standing there beside her?

With her arms full of still damp clothes, she headed over to the part of the common room where she could see Teddy had disappeared towards the exit. She cast a glance around for him but in the darkness of the room he was nowhere to be seen.

"Teddy?" she whispered into the dark, and jumped when she felt a hand come down on her shoulder.

"Sorry." he said, his face illuminated by the distant glow of the fire as he closed the portrait hole behind him. "Bad news."

Victoire gulped. Images of Professor McGonagall waiting to catch her outside the common room came to mind, but she quickly shook it off. "What is it?"

"Nearly headless." Teddy said, nodding towards the hallway beyond. "He's drifting about out there for some reason and you know how he can be. If he doesn't rat on you, he'll keep you company all the way back to Ravenclaw tower and the noise will wake the baron. You'd be caught for sure."

Victoire felt a drop in her stomach as she glanced nervously towards the hole. "What are we going to do?"

When Teddy didn't answer, she turned her gaze back to him. He was wearing that look he often got when an idea came to him but he didn't always think it best to voice it.

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It's nothing."

"Teddy." she said sternly. "What are you thinking?"

He stood there another beat before casting a final glance towards the door. "Well..."