Submitted for The Houses Competition Forum - Round 4
House: Ravenclaw
Subject: Transfiguration
Category: Standard
Prompt: [Category One] 5. Next Gen; [Category Two] 3. [Pairing type] Cousins
Word count: 1,486
Warnings: EWE - Epilogue? What Epilogue?
Squad Ghouls
"Grandma!" Victoire's voice could be heard from the living room before anyone saw her running in. "Grandma! Ava's here and she's brought Teddy! When can we see our costumes?"
Victoire was very excited for the Halloween party that her grandmother was throwing later today, and since her cousin, her best friend, had already arrived with their pseudo-cousin, she couldn't wait to put on the costume Grandma Molly had made for them.
"Not yet, Tori. You have to wait for James, Edmund, and Scorpius," Grandma Molly replied, and Victoire crossed her arms and pouted. "Don't be like that. It won't take long for them to come; they're probably on their way here now. Why don't you go say hello to Ava and Teddy?"
Victoire gave a smile and ran towards Ava and Teddy. Victoire loved to spend time with Ava. They were born two months apart, and ever since they were babies, they had been inseparable. Teddy had lost his parents to a war that had happened before she was born, and Uncle Harry had adopted him, making Teddy a part of their trio.
Victoire and Ava spent a lot of time with their grandma baking cookies that they ended up eating before they cooled down. Victoire cherished the moments that she could spend with her cousin and grandma; she also spent a lot of time with Teddy and their grandpa Arthur, tinkering with Muggle things. Victoire knew that she was lucky to have such an amazing family.
"Ava! Teddy!" Victoire hugged both her cousins like she hadn't seen them in so long. She had last seen them two days ago. "Finally, you're here! But Grandma said that we can't put on our costumes until the others arrive."
"They should be here soon. Auntie Daphne was almost done giving Eddie his bath and she said that Auntie Toria will come here with Scorpius," Teddy rambled. "I can't wait to see what Grandma made for my costume. Do you think she managed to make the dragon costume that I asked her for?"
"I bet that Grandma did; she's the best seamstress in the whole world!" Ava said, beaming at Victoire with an excited glint in her eyes. "I don't know what Grandma did for my costume, but I know that I'll like it. Maybe we'll even match, Tori."
"This is going to be totally awesome!" Victoire replied, high-fiving Ava. "But I thought that you were going to match Uncle George's costume?"
"Nope, Mummy said that Uncle George has to match Auntie Angie this year or she would be sad." Ava shrugged, not really concerned. "But Mummy and Daddy said they're wearing matching costumes, and I can't wait to see it."
"Uncle Fred's costume is going to be awesome!" Teddy said, sitting down on the rug, motioning for Victoire and Ava to do the same. "Auntie 'Mione said that she had to 'reign him in'—whatever that means."
"Mummy says that a lot about Daddy." Ava nodded solemnly before they all burst into giggles. "What do you think our costumes will be, Tori?"
Before Victoire could say anything, the floo behind them roared to life and Daphne Potter and Astoria Malfoy came through, each one carrying a baby and James tagging alongside them.
"Jamie! You're finally here!" Teddy screamed, standing up and running to his pseudo-brother. "I missed you, bro."
"I missed you, Teddy," James replied, hugging Teddy. "Don't leave me ever again."
"Sometimes I don't think James is your son, but then, he does something like this, and all I can see is you, Daph." Auntie Astoria winked at Victoria and Ava, who giggled at their silly aunt. "How are you two doing today, girls?"
"Doing good, Auntie Toria. How about you? And Scorpius?" Victoire asked, standing up and going to see the baby.
Even though Scorpius was only related to James and Edmund, Victoire still thought of him as another cousin. Being a Weasley meant that she had a lot of cousins, so it was inevitable that she had adopted Scorpius as her cousin too. It meant she always had another person to play with.
"He's doing very well, and I know that he's going to enjoy your grandma's Halloween party. She was so kind to invite us," Auntie Astoria replied, sitting down on the couch.
"It's a pleasure to have you all here, Astoria, you know that," Grandma Molly said, walking into the living room. "Besides, I love having the house full of children again. It's no problem at all."
Victoire beamed at her grandma and ran to hug her; she loved spending time with her grandparents and her cousins.
"Now that everyone is here, can we put on our costumes, Grandma? Please? Pretty please? Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Victoire asked, her eyes wide and her lip jutting out in a small pout.
Grandma Molly smiled the way that Victoire saw Uncle George and Uncle Fred smile sometimes, and with a nod, the eldest witch said everything that Victoire wanted to know.
"Yay! Grandma is the best! I can't wait to see my costume!" Victorie started to dance, and soon, Ava, Teddy and James were dancing alongside her. "What did you make for me, Grandma? Can you tell me?"
"Why don't you let Grandma Molly go get the costumes, Tori? And then, Auntie Toria and I can help you change into your costumes." Auntie Daphne was always the one that calmed Victoire down when her mum wasn't around.
"All right, thanks, Auntie Daph!" Victoire was smiling like it was her birthday, and her happiness was contagious.
"I bet that Uncle Harry and my mummy will bring their cameras, and we can take a lot of pictures and hang them in our bedrooms!" Ava said, hugging Victoire with all her might. "It's going to be totally awesome."
Victoire couldn't be happier with how Grandma Molly's costumes turned out. She and Ava were going to be The Lion and the Scarecrow from their favourite book. Grandma Molly had asked if they wanted to be the good witch and the bad witch, but they liked the story of The Lion and Scarecrow better.
"You would look awesome when you put on your lion's head," Victoire said, looking at Ava putting on her catsuit. The girls were getting dressed in the twins' old room. Since they were only a few months apart, Grandma Molly always said that they could be twins and they liked to be in their old room. "What do you think your mum will say?"
"Probably that we look adorable and that this may be my dad's fault somehow." Ava laughed at the way the straw was peeking out from her cousin's shirt. "You know Mum still doesn't think it's safe that we spend so much time in Dad and Uncle George's old room."
"We're six! What does she think we're going to do?" Victoire asked with a hand on her waist, knowing she looked exactly like her mother. "Besides, think about all the sweets we'll get this year! Last year wasn't any fun, having only Auntie Gabby to play with."
"Yeah, I missed you too." Ava grabbed Victoire's hand and squeezed, making a smile appear on her face. "Uncle George and Dad made a corn maze in our living room, and Mum helped me get through it, but it wasn't the same."
"Maybe Uncle Fred and Uncle George can do it again this year? I think Dad would love to help," Victoire said while she put on her hat and turned to her cousin. "What do you think?"
"I think you look awesome! How do I look?" Ava asked, putting the lion head and making claws with her hands. "Do I look like a cowardly lion?"
"More like a brave lion, but you've got spirit!" Victoire laughed and grabbed Ava's hand. "Let's see what the other's costumes are."
Teddy was dressed like a Hungarian Horntail—probably influenced by Uncle Charlie—and James was dressed like a curse breaker; Victoire thought that James looked just like her parents. Edmund and Scorpius were dressed like mandrakes—a tradition for all Weasley babies, and even though Edmund was a Potter and Scorpius a Malfoy, this hadn't stopped Grandma Molly from sewing them a traditional costume each.
"Grandma, when can we start the party?" Victoire asked for the fifth time already, tired of waiting. "We are already wearing our costumes."
"I know, darling, but we need to wait for your parents and your uncles and aunties," Grandma Molly said with a small smile. "You want them to enjoy the party too, don't you?"
"Yeah, I think so," Victoire said with a frown, making her grandma laugh. "I'll wait then."
Victoire ran to the garden, waiting for her parents and the rest of the family to arrive at the Burrow. She knew that with Ava by her side and all her cousins—and pseudo-cousins—around her, she was going to have an amazing Halloween.