The roar of the crowd could be heard through the walls of the change room, and as Teddy joined the other Gryffindors waiting for their cue to finish the game, he barely heard it at all. The team was sullen and silent, kicking at the dirt and avoiding each other's eyes, but Teddy's mind was far from it. "Nothing has changed". The words echoed through his mind, repeating themselves over and over until he questioned if he had even heard them at all. "Win it for me". He could still feel the brush of her lips on his cheek and something inside him leapt with joy.
"Five minutes." someone announced to the team, causing them all to straighten their posture and show their nerves more clearly. "Let's just get this over with." someone muttered, catching Teddy's ear. Looking up, he took in the expressions of his team; miserable, nerve-ridden and exhausted. Victoire was right- he'd been playing like shit, and it had taken effect on the rest of his team. Suddenly he was struck with a thought.
"Hey, everyone gather round." he spoke up, catching the eye of his players, some of whom met his gaze curiously, others who avoided it at all costs. "Seriously, come here." he said, when no one moved. Sheepishly, the players dragged foot after foot forward until they were huddled in a sort of circle, giving Teddy at least a sliver of their attention.
"Everyone chin up." he said, elbowing the chaser beside him. "I've got an idea."
The next thing he knew, he was out on the field, broom in hand, staring hard into the sneering face of Max Northwick.
"Ready to end this, Lupin?" he asked, eyebrow quirked, mouth a grimace. Around them the crowd cheered once more and he knew it was just a matter of seconds before the whistle blew. When he'd spoken to his team just moments before, they'd been nervous.
"What if it doesn't work?" Noel Kilman, one of their beaters, asked him looking anxious.
"Then it doesn't work." Teddy shrugged. "But it's worth a try, don't you think?"
Slowly for some, boldly for others they all nodded eventually. "Right." Teddy said, clapping a few on the shoulders. "We've got a game to win."
"Oi, blue boy." Max shouted back, snapping Teddy's attention once more, although he couldn't quite gather how "blue boy" could be a reference to him. His hair was nowhere near blue...
"I said are you ready to get smothered, or would you like forfeit right now?"
The referee walked up to the center and put the whistle to her lips. "On my mark!"
"Go fuck yourself, Max." Teddy said as the whistle blew. The last thing he saw before pushing off top speed was Max's face, a flurry of anger and determination. Already the wind was rushing through his hair and he was regaining that feeling of confidence that always came to him when he was on a broom.
Let the best man win.
"There they go." Ginger said, sitting down beside Victoire back in the stands. She had returned from the changerooms just moments ago to the expectant looks of her friends. "I did the best I could." she said, taking a seat between Marcy and Ginger.
"Looks like your best was enough." Ginger announced now, flashing her friends a smile. "He looks normal to me."
She was right. Out on the field the Gryffindor team already looked more put together than usual. The chasers hurtled in perfect formation, never straying too far from a triangle pattern and it wasn't long before Teddy caught the Quaffle. The crowd cheered loud now, Pierce shrieking, his voice booming over the stadium and almost drowning out the others. "GO TEDDY GO!" Until moments later- "GRYFFINDOR SCORE!"
It was a beautiful first play, and it kept getting better from there on out. Slytherin scored the next point, but there were four Gryffindor goals after that! It seemed to be the continuous ratio for the whole second half. As it neared the end of the game and Gryffindor was a few points under, there was a moment where Max had the ball. He was charging toward the red and gold end, a look of pure fury in his face. Just as he was about to strike, when he had his arm reared back and it seemed all was lost- Noel Kilman hit a bludger that smashed through his hand, knocking the quaffle into the air wildly and leaving Max to shriek in pain as the bones shattered and his broom spun through the air wildly. The green stands gasped, the red ones cheered and Teddy caught the quaffle. In a moment of pure adrenaline, Victoire saw him glance in her direction and smile. Without thinking, she beamed back ridiculously and blew him a kiss. Letting out a laugh from the field, one that she could have sworn she heard in her heart, he scored the winning point and the crowd burst into an explosion of cheers. Meanwhile down below, Max was on the field, lying on his back and crying desperately for the nurse to come see him. Victoire could not have imagined a sweeter win, nor that she would be the one to encourage it.
"I can't believe it!" Clyde hooted from a few seats down, grabbing Marcy and spinning her wildly, laughter and cheers exploding around them. Victoire beamed, watching her friends and soaking up the moment. This was really it; Teddy's first win as captain, captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team! As the final whistle blew, the group landed on the field, some of the teammates waving their brooms over their heads in victory, Noel Kilman actually jumping off his broom ten feet before he'd landed in order to be in the heart of the throng of red and gold. Students were already pouring out of the stands, the Slytherins headed grudgingly away from the field while the Gryffindors spilled in the other direction, rushing the field to swarm and cheer their heroes, teammates that none of them had had faith in moments before.
"What are we waiting for, let's get down there!" Sean cried, grabbing Ginger's hand in a flurry and pulling her after him. Ginger shot Toire a startled but thrilled look and ran after him to keep up, Jensen's scarf flapping wildly around her neck. Toire watched them go, a smile splitting her face and after a beat to see if Clyde and Marcy were coming, she took off after them.
Teddy watched them come, pouring onto the field like a sea of life. Bellows and cheers followed and the next thing he knew he was being swarmed. So many people were yelling his name, cheering for their win and he was laughing so hard he could barely hear it when Jensen yelled just beside him, "PARTY IN THE COMMON ROOM!", but one thing he did hear was the roar of the crowd, echoing the lions that they symbolised as several players were suddenly lifted up onto the shoulders of their housemates. Teddy only had a second to register Katy Thomas being carried off by a mob of fans and Noel Kilman kissing a Hufflepuff girl fiercely before he too was hoisted up, losing his balance for a moment before regaining it and letting out a whoop. Eyes on the castle, he leaned back onto the crowd and dozens of hands held him up with a cheer. In that moment, with Gryffindors below him and his name being sung on the wind, he looked up at the sky, white above them and nearly ready to snow if he wasn't mistaken; and felt like a king.
"Bugger it's too late. We've missed them." Clyde panted, keeling over to catch his breath once the group had landed on the field. Ginger and Sean were somewhere ahead of them having joined the crowds ascending their way back to the castle, minds far beyond their friends on the fields.
"That's okay, we'll find them in a few." Marcy beamed, turning to the others. "Did you hear Jensen? Party in the common room!" she whooped, grabbing Clyde's hand and dragging him along. "Come on Toire, this'll be a night to remember!" she beamed as the couple picked up speed once again to catch up to the mob.
"I'm right behind you!" Victoire yelled, smiling. She was about to take off after them, her feet already digging into the hard earth when she heard her name suddenly. A breath on the wind.
Turning for a moment, her eyes scanned the crowds dispersing from behind. As it thinned she saw a figure moving through it, parting the black robes to join her on the grass. At sight of the person, Toire felt herself relax, having felt an ominous feeling at the name before, moving so clearly through the yells and shouts between friends. Olivia Blunt moved to walk beside her, matching her now slowed walk, stride for stride.
"I didn't see you in the stands." Victoire said to the girl as a way of greeting. She never could quite put her finger on what the relationship she had with Olivia could be called. They had never been close other than that first year together at Hogwarts while they were getting started on their paths, but even since then whenever they talked, Victoire felt that it held some sort of importance. Olivia had this way of reading her like no one else really could aside from Teddy, and that was only when he was paying attention.
"I came late." the Slytherin smiled, tucking a strand of sable hair behind her ear. She had grown it out of the bob she'd worn it in for the first couple of her years and now it brushed her collarbones when she walked. "Not late enough to catch the heroic catch up, mind you."
"Yeah, it was certainly something." Victoire smiled, thinking back to the look Teddy had given her as he scored that last point. She didn't feel Olivia's eyes on her until she looked- a piercing green that could be harsh when they needed to be, but now were soft and curious. "You must be very proud." Olivia said simply, taking Victoire by surprise.
"It wasn't my win." Toire said, watching the girl she called her friend.
"You sure about that?" she replied, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. Toire dropped her eyes and felt herself bite her lip, something she did when embarrassed on pensive. Right now it was a bit of both. "You always see more than the others, 'Liv." Toire said after a minute of silence, gazing back at the girl as they neared the castle. "Mmm." the girl said in reply, her smile full fledged now. Then, "You must be really looking forward to your next game then." she said, nudging Victoire. Toire watched her, confused for a moment as she wracked her brain to why that may be and then realization dawned on her. She went through the house cup games in her head, listing off the ones she'd memorized at the beginning of the year. Her eyes widened and she turned to Olivia just as the girl spoke what she was thinking.
"You finally get to face your boyfriend."
The next game of Ravenclaw versus Gryffindor.
Almost an hour later, the Gryffindor common room was rumbling. Victoire stood on the other side of the portrait of the Fat Lady, pausing momentarily before she entered. She had parted ways with Olivia back at the castle and told Marcy she'd meet her inside the party once she'd had time to get back and change, but now she waited. She could hear the noise from inside the room from the corridor, the bass already running beneath her feet and vibrating the picture frames. In her scene, the Fat Lady had stuffed a wad of cotton into her ears. As Victoire approached her she didn't even bother removing them, just waves Victoire through as she mouthed the password, Hollyberry, and watched the portrait swing forward to face the deafening jet of noise. Nearly wincing at the sound, but feeling her heartbeat accelerate instantly, she stepped through the hole and into the light. The common room was packed.
All around her she saw people, dressed to the nines in their best party-wear. Girls decked out in crop-tops and ripped jeans, boys in loose button downs and vintage Chuck Taylors; it was like she had stepped into one of those muggle teen movies her cousin Molly loved to watch. Among the cliche attire, the room was sweltering. With all the body heat formed by the dancing, people were sweating everywhere. She moved quickly through the room and stepped back against one of the walls to avoid a couple's desperate grinding only to find that the wall she was leaning up against was sweating almost more than she was. She took a step away, disgusted, and slammed directly into Jensen.
He turned toward her quickly, frown heavy and eyes watching the slosh of drink he'd just spilt, narrowly missing his sleeve. "Hey, watch it- Oh, sorry Toire." he said, catching sight of her. "Didn't see you there."
"No, it was my bad." she said, shying away a moment and then kicking herself for it. This was Jensen goddamnit, she told herself quickly. But there was still a part of her, a corner she'd tucked far away that refused to smooth out, that still made her feel awkward and clumsy whenever she was around him alone. Not that this really counted as alone, but it seemed like no one had noticed her arrival yet besides him and the couple now tonguing each other in the corner. Their "incident" that had taken place the previous year had just passed it's yearly mark and considering she hadn't kissed any boys since the summer she was feeling a little awkward thinking about it now, here, while Jensen's eyes wandered down her body for a quick moment, his mind surely going through the same thoughts.
"Who's that for?" she asked hastily, pointing at the other drink he was carrying to change the subject. He glanced down at it as if he'd forgotten it was even there before looking back up to her. "You, if you want it." She took it without a second thought and chugged, the liquid a glistening brown, burning a bit at the back of her throat as the familiar taste of alcohol flooded her mouth. "I thought you'd given up drinking." Jensen said, quirking an eyebrow as she emptied her cup.
"We're celebrating." she said bluntly, handing the cup back to him. "Well, I'll keep my distance just to be sure." he smirked, taking his leave.
"Cocky bastard!" she called after him, feeling herself warm to the lightened tone he took to their past fumble. "What can I say?" he yelled back over the music as he walked away. "I'm irresistable!" Then, as if to prove his point, he grabbed a girl from out of the crowd wrapped an arm around her waist, much to her delight. Toire rolled her eyes and turned, already feeling the drink coursing through her as she scanned the raging crowd for a familiar spark of teal hair. After a moment of getting distracted by a catchy baseline in the new Weird Sister's single blasting from some invisible source, she caught sight of Teddy, stuck in the middle and surrounded by girls all doing their ultimate best to catch his attention. She felt her heart soften when she noticed he was busy shouting something in Clyde's ear who was right beside him other than pay any notice to the sirens. Taking a deep breath, she straightened her shoulders and entered the crowd.
To say Teddy hadn't noticed the increasing lack of girls around him would have been an understatement. Not that he had ever been lacking in that department, but it seemed like this night in particular they seemed to be everywhere. Whenever he moved, one of them brushed up against him, grinding a hip or a leg against him, often in places he wouldn't have expected. He couldn't help but think at one point that any other guy would have been thrilled to have been thronged as he was that night, but even since he'd come downstairs from his dorm after having changed into something more relaxed, his eyes had been open for one girl in particular. It wasn't until Jensen had handed him a drink, and then Clyde a couple more that he'd finally loosened up. Now he moved with the music, appreciating the friends around him and feeling generally in a very happy place. He felt warm. He felt successful. He felt fan-flipping-tastic. "I feel fan-flipping-tastic." he yelled, laying a hand on Clyde's shoulder to steady himself as yet another girl rubbed past him, batting her lashes.
"Merlin Teddy, get a grip!" Clyde yelled back, laughing as his friend swayed slightly. "Maybe you should lay off the stronger ones for a while." Suddenly his friend's eyes lit up. "Oi, have a look will you! There's your girl!"
Those words were like a splash of cold water for Teddy, as he suddenly whipped his head up, looking all around until it was too late and Victoire was standing at his shoulder.
"Hey!" she yelled over the music, casting an eye around momentarily at the girls now shooting her a flurry of dirty looks. Clyde replied cheerily and engaged her in a joke while Teddy took a second to get his bearings all while taking her in. She'd dressed a lot simpler than the other girls at the party. Instead of bare midriffs and strappy sandals, she was wearing a simple green sundress, one he wouldn't have expected her to have out during the winter. It hung off her waist loosely, drifting with the music and folding with the heat, but on top it was low enough to show collarbone and more than enough chest. He glanced around quickly to check if anyone was looking and sure enough there were more than a few guys trying to catch her eye as they grinded with the other girls in the room.
"I think I see Marcy!" Clyde said, a lot louder than before in order to catch Teddy's attention. It worked, and he hastily dropped his eyes back to Victoire who waved at Clyde as he pushed his way between the sweaty guests and back to his girlfriend. They were alone again, in a completely non-literal way. Unexpectedly, Teddy felt a sudden surge of panic shoot through him. She was so close, and with all the haze he was feeling in his head he suddenly was blanking on any idea of what he should do.
She watched Clyde go for a moment before turning back to Teddy, feeling instantly startled at the look he was giving her. Teal hair rumpled, looking a bit dazed and confused she couldn't help but smile. He was watching her so intently and when he noticed she saw his face redden slightly. It thrilled her, knowing she could make him feel that way and once again, memories of him on the field, sweat on his brow and his muscles working to their full extent, gave her a boost of energy. She let herself be pushed closer to him, moving with the wave of the crowd. Slowly and almost seductively, feeling as though the drink had loosened her up considerably, she took his hand in hers. He dropped his gaze to it and then back at her, his frown raising. She leaned in close so that her lips were level with his ear, speaking into it so he wouldn't have to strain to hear her. "Dance with me."
She didn't have to ask him twice.
Immediately and with sudden confidence she felt his arms slide around her waist, breaking the space between them as her navel pressed against him, the thin cotton of her dress one of the only layers separating them. She raised her eyes to his and stretched up her arms, twining them round his neck and pulling herself closer. The music thrummed through the floor, up her legs and reverberated against her chest, flowing back and forth, back and forth into his. She smiled at the beat, sudden drums pounding out rhythm and he returned the look, letting loose his grip for a moment. She raised an eyebrow in question but the next thing she knew, he was spinning her out and she was gasping in shock, the move quick and unexpected. Then she was back against him, eyes wide and heart thrumming and he moved them across the floor, bodies pressing them closer still.
"Teddy." she managed to gasp once she'd caught her breath, leaning into him. He laughed. "Oh come on, you love it." There was a sudden change in the song as she recognized the opening bars of a slower one she had heard on a muggle radio over the summer. Couples met up and started joining the dancefloor. She leaned her head against his chest, lowering her hands so they looped around his hips. "Shut up." she mumbled, and he smiled smugly.
She concentrated on lowering the pace of her heart.
The song played on and they swayed in silence, neither one of them wanting to break the feeling for a moment. Victoire found herself closing her eyes, her face still pressed against his chest, hearing the music and the far off beat of his heart somewhere deeper.
"Victoire."
"Mmm?"
He said something softly, so soft that she couldn't quite hear it above the music. Raising her head so her chin rested against him now, so close he could kiss her, she watched him. His eye's weren't on her at first, it was almost as if he were avoiding hers. But then with a shudder, they were there, and she could have sworn she felt herself start. There was something about the way he was watching her, like he had just turned out ever edge of his soul for her to see. She couldn't believe the look he gave, how open he was but instead of saying something meaningful like she would have if she'd had time to think, instead she asked him to repeat himself.
Just like that, in an instant, the look was gone. Snapped, so suddenly that it startled her even more than when it appeared. She could physically see it leave, the doors close behind his eyes as he watched her, and she felt like she had said something terribly wrong. He looked almost to be sweating more now, and she loosened her grip on him, placing a hand on his chest instead to steady the two of them. But he wasn't looking so good.
"Teddy, are you alright?"
He didn't have time to reply. In an instant, he pulled away, forcing her to drop her hands and watch him go as he shoved his way out of the throng, moving those who didn't part for him by force.
"What the hell just happened?" came a voice at her elbow. Whirling she turned to see Marcy, as sweaty and frazzled as the others, but having clearly been taking in the "Tedtoire" show with a healthy fondness. As if to answer her question, a roar of a laugh broke out behind them. Clyde approached then, swinging an arm over both their shoulders.
"I knew he shouldn't have had that third firewhisky." he snorted, realization breaking out in Toire's mind. "Jensen always makes them too strong."
Now Victoire recognized the direction Teddy had been fleeing to. Her eyes following the long line of girls that trailed out of the area, she watched as one helped the other stagger through the door, hair already being pulled back. The toilets.
"Romantic." Toire muttered, more to herself than anyone else, but Marcy finished in with the typical snort of "Men."