Chapter 38: Privacy
prompt: Teddy and Victoire awkwardness with Harry and Ginny
January 2018
Potter House, North England
"I think I should paint your nails next." Lily Luna is kneeling on the couch in their living room, taming her daddy's black mane into a sloppy braid with rainbow-coloured elastics. "The green polish Albie gave me for my birthday will be great with your eyes."
"That sounds lovely, Li-Lu," Harry hums, sitting with his back against the couch and his eyes closed as he enjoys his make-over. Holding his dad mug in his left, he pets their snoozing English Setter Camelot with his right every so often.
"And then I'll shave your beard." Lily is clipping a mermaid-shaped clip into Harry's braid. "You'll look very pretty without the beard."
"Nuh-uh, sorry Lils, but the beard is taboo." Ginny is giving her daughter a stern look from where she is lounging in her favourite armchair on their right. For the last hour she has been trying to read the autobiography of a recently retired Spanish Quidditch player while listening to her daughter talking a mile a minute. watching a few lazy snowflakes fall by their bay windows.
"You heard mummy. She thinks I'm very pretty, even with the beard." Harry winks at Ginny who grins, both clearly remembering their early morning quality time. He makes a mental note to bring Angelina a bottle of her favourite red for taking the boys for the night so Harry and Ginny could sleep in.
Lily, who is a notorious late riser unlike James and Albus, looks like she might protest her mother but then merely shrugs. Looking through her little beauty bag for more accessories, she offers, "Do you want me to do your hair next, mummy?"
Harry snorts as he watches his wife grimace at the thought of Lily tugging and tweaking at her hair. Conspiratorially, Harry looks up at their daughter and mock whispers to her. "Ah, Li-Lu, I don't think mummy's in the mood for that today. She had too much Gin last night."
A pillow hits Harry right in the chest as Lily nods knowingly. "And whose fault was that, Potter? You left me alone with Percy and Ron. Over an hour alone with my brothers, Harry, so don't tell me you wouldn't have done the same." Harry laughs and throws the pillow back to Ginny.
"And it didn't have anything to do with Ron turning Percy's conversation with Kingsley into a drinking game?" They had attended Horace Slughorn's annual New Year's Ball the night before, agreeing only because Hermione and Ron were on the guest list as well as a fair few other friends. Unfortunately, Harry and Hermione's boss had also been in attendance which resulted in more work-related talk than Harry would have liked. In the meantime, Ron and Ginny had somehow managed to get quite merry.
"I don't know what you're talking about, sorry."
"Of course not."
Just as Ginny is ready to chuck another pillow at Harry's face, there are footsteps in the hallway. A moment later Teddy clomps down the stairs, followed by Victoire. Seemingly unaware that they're perfectly in Ginny's range of vision through the open French doors of the living room, Victoire gives Teddy a pinch in the backside. Ginny only just catches Teddy turning around and attacking Victoire with his mouth before she swiftly turns away to give them some privacy – and because she really doesn't want to watch her eldest son snog his girlfriend.
Lily, however, has no such qualms. In a second she is up on her feet and skipping over to her brother and cousin. "Morning, Teddy. Morning, Vicky."
Pulling away, Teddy has the decency to blush a furious red as he smiles at Lily. "Morning, Lil."
"Look, I did Daddy's hair!" Grabbing Victoire's hand right out of Teddy's, Lily pulls her eldest cousin into the living room and proudly presents her work. "He looks really pretty, doesn't he? If you want, I can do yours too, Vicky. I can give you blue streaks with my new markers from Auntie Luna, you'll match with Teddy!"
"Lily, those markers are not for hair or skin, we talked about that." Ginny gives her daughter a stern look. It had taken weeks for poor Wilma's feathers to lose the pink tinge and James had thrown a fit when he saw Lily's beauty treatment for his owl. "Good morning, you two."
"Good morning." Victoire smiles brightly as Teddy stands behind her, his hand finding hers automatically. "How was the ball last night? Teddy said it was going to be quite the event."
"It was alright. Honestly, it's mostly just small talk and networking." Ginny grimaces and Victoire giggles.
"Teddy didn't mention you'd stay over, Vic. I trust your parents know where you spend the night?" Harry, ever the Auror, raises his eyebrow at the young couple.
"Of course. I told Maman I'd watch Lily with Teddy." Victoire's sweet smile doesn't cover up the fact that she didn't mention her father. Bill's attitude towards Teddy and Victoire's relationship is a lot less easy-going than his wife's, meaning that he's probably abroad for work at the moment if Vic had so openly spent the night with her boyfriend. In the beginning of their relationship, Victoire had repeatedly snuck into Teddy's room at night without her parents knowing and even though his daughter is now 17 and thus of-age, Bill is still somewhat sore about it.
"Well, we're glad you kept him company. Did you get any sleep at all last night, Teddy?" Ginny watches her godson with concern. Teddy has always had a rough time around full moon, presumably an inheritance from Remus. Although his mood swings and the queasiness have mostly gone, sleep is still a touchy subject at full moon.
Teddy simply shrugs in response, but the faint circles under his bright eyes speak volumes.
"Were Vicky and Teddy still wrestling in his bed when you came back?" Lily sounds less than happy at the prospect. Stemming her little arms into her sides, she glares at her older brother before turning to her father, outraged. "I couldn't sleep and went to see what they were doing because I heard them, but Teddy didn't let me play with them and send me back to bed. Meanie."
There's a moment of silence as Ginny looks back and forth between her children and Harry looks at Lily, aghast.
It's not the revelation that Teddy and Victoire are sleeping with each other, of course they do, they've been dating for over a year and they're both of age. It's the fact that their six-year-old daughter, Teddy's kid sister, walked in on them having sex.
While Teddy looks like he would like to strangle said little sister, Victoire blushes furiously, a rare look on her lustrous white skin. Preferring to avoid eye contact with her uncle and aunt, she turns to hide her face in Teddy's jumper.
"You see, Li-Lu." Harry runs a hand through his hair, a bit of a nervous tic. "Sometimes, grown-ups want to, um, play grown-up things in private."
"But Teddy isn't a grown-up, he's TEDDY." Lily watches her dad intently, puzzled by the idea that he would consider Teddy an actual adult when he's just her older brother.
"Well, he's grown-up enough to remember to use a locking charm next time, that's for sure," Ginny pipes up. The tips of Teddy's shaggy locks turn an embarrassed reddish brown as he agrees, almost choking on his words.
"You're right, Lily. He's Teddy, but Teddy is in fact a grown-up." Harry almost smiles at Lily who's clearly not buying that. Still, he tries to keep a straight face as he makes his point. "When Teddy's door is closed, especially when Vicky is with him, that means he wants some privacy. Do you understand that?"
Lily seems to ponder that for a second, then shrugs. "Okay."
"Okay. So next time the door is closed, you knock, understood?"
"Understood."
Harry grins and kisses Lily's forehead, once again absolutely besotted with his clever daughter. "Good. You want to go get your games compendium and we'll play some snakes and ladders?"
Lily shoots out of the room like a stray bludger, eager to play her favourite board game with her dad. Harry, chuffed with his parenting skills today, leans back and grins at Ginny. "How was that?"
"8 out of 10, I'd say. Points deducted for not including our bedroom door in that rule. All in all, good job though." Ginny grins, happily rating his parenting. "Also, I think it's time you teach Teddy a decent muffliato, dear. Jamie and Al wouldn't have let that slide so easily and we really don't want that happening, do we?"
Sighing, Harry throws his head back dramatically to look at Teddy. "Do we have to have the talk again, too, mate? I really thought I wouldn't do that again until James next year."
Teddy groans. "Now you're just taking the piss."
"Well, treats you right for scarring your sister for life," Ginny challenges.
"I didn't! We di- she didn't even see anything!"
"Sure, but she'll never view wrestling the same."
"Honestly, you're insufferable. I'm taking Vic home." Teddy is used to Harry and Ginny being sarky, but he swears they're extra facetious whenever his girlfriend is around. Throwing a quick "later" over his shoulder, he is out of the door and off with Victoire in record time.
"Bollox, I was going to throw an 'under my roof' in there." Harry sounds sincerely gutted, lying flat on the hardwood floor with his hair clips digging into his scalp uncomfortably.
Smiling contently, Ginny opens her book again and delves back into the sickeningly narcissistic retelling of the star seeker's career. "Next time, love. There's always a next time."
Some Harry/Ginny/Lily/Teddy/Victoire moment for your lockdown blues. Hope you enjoyed.
Originally I wanted Harry to walk in on Vic and Ted, but honestly, can you imagine the SHAME?! I would die if my father saw me that way. Ugh.
Recommendation for grey afternoons: if you haven't you should really check out the Won't you please come get your baby? series by atreacherousoldwitch. It's bloody lovely!
Comments, favourites, reviews, prompts are happily accepted.
Love, stay safe, cd.
