Year 3: Friend Like You

Chapter 27: March 2014

"Truth or dare?" Brianna asked Kara one day in March as the three girls sat in the common room.

"Truth," Kara decided.

"Alright," Brianna said. "On a scale of one to ten, how pretty do you think Victoire is?"

"A ten obviously," Kara said immediately. "Victoire's gorgeous."

"That's not fair," Brianna frowned. "Ten is like, absolute perfection. You have to be totally honest, those are the rules."

"Okay fine, then a nine," Kara amended. "But I'm not going any lower than that."

"Because you honestly think that, or because you're afraid of hurting Victoire's feelings?" Brianna asked.

"Because I honestly think it!" Kara cried, offended.

"Why Bri?" Victoire asked. "Where would you rank me?"

"This wasn't my truth," Brianna pointed out.

"Fine, truth or dare?" Victoire demanded.

"Dare," Brianna decided. Victoire gave her a look. "Alright fine, truth."

"On a scale of one to ten, how pretty do you think I am?" Victoire asked.

"Brianna shrugged. "A seven point eight," she decided.

Victoire frowned. "Really?" she asked. "A seven point eight? That's pretty specific."

Brianna nodded. "You started at ten, but every time you frown, you create wrinkles. I've deducted point one of a point for every time I've caught you frowning for an extended period of time."

"I don't frown!" Victoire cried indignantly.

"Yeah, actually, you do," Kara disagreed. "A lot recently."

"Name one time," Victoire demanded.

"Five minutes ago, when Teddy and Beverly came into the common room and kissed before going to their separate dorms," Brianna said.

Victoire crossed her arms. "I did not frown," she muttered.

"Sorry but yeah, you did," Kara said apologetically.

"Alright Victoire, truth or dare?" Brianna asked.

"Truth," Victoire decided.

"Okay, why are you so obsessed with Teddy and Beverly Longman?" Brianna demanded.

Victoire frowned. "I am not obsessed."

"See?" Kara cried. "You're frowning again!"

"I am not!" Victoire insisted, forcing her face to relax. "See? I have a totally normal expression."

Brianna rolled her eyes. "Answer the truth," she said.

"I already did," Victoire claimed. "I told you that I'm not obsessed."

"Well that was obviously a lie and not in the spirit of truth or dare," Brianna pointed out. "Come on, we answer all your truths honestly."

Victoire suddenly felt attacked. "I don't know what you expect me to say," she said, her eyes stinging as she spoke. "I told you I don't care, so why do you keep asking?"

"If that was the truth, I wouldn't keep asking," Brianna said.

"You know what?" Victoire said, jumping up. "There are certain topics that I never bring up when we play truth or dare. I never ask you personal questions about your father or your family, because I know it's a really sensitive subject for you. And we don't ask Kara why she visits the hospital wing once a month, because obviously she has some sort of medical thing going on that she doesn't want to share with us. So how come, when it's so obvious this isn't a conversation I want to be having, do you insist on forcing me to keep talking about it?"

"I – "

"Whatever Brianna," Victoire cried, not even wanting to listen to anything her friend might have to say.

She turned and fled up the stairs to her dorm where she immediately crawled into her bed and drew the curtains around her to indicate to Raina and Caitlin that she didn't feel like talking. Suddenly, tears started to pour from her eyes, and Victoire wasn't sure whether they were because of the awkward conversation about Teddy and Beverly, or whether they were from her yelling at Brianna.

"Victoire?" a soft voice asked a couple of minutes later. "Victoire can I come in?"

Victoire didn't respond.

"Victoire please let me talk to you," Kara pleaded.

Victoire sighed. "Fine," she decided. "Come on in."

A hand appeared and parted the curtains enough so that Kara could slip onto the bed, and then the curtains fell back to their closed position.

Victoire pulled her knees up to her chin and leaned back against the headboard.

"So," Kara began.

"So," Victoire repeated.

"You know about the hospital wing," Kara said unexpectedly.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry I brought that up," Victoire said, immediately feeling guilty. She hadn't meant to throw Kara under the bus. It was Brianna she'd been mad at.

"No it's fine," Kara said. "It's good to know that you know."

"Did you want to talk – "

"No," Kara shook her head. "I really don't. It's not a big deal or anything though."

"Okay," Victoire shrugged, understanding her friend's need not to have her butting into her business.

"I'm sorry Brianna pushed you," Kara said. "And I'm sorry I helped her to do it."

"No," Victoire shook her head. "I mean, everything you said was true. Obviously Teddy being with Beverly does bother me. I'm just not sure I completely understand it myself."

Kara nodded. "Well Teddy's like your big brother," she said. "It must be weird to see your big brother kissing some girl all over the castle. Especially when they insist on making out in the middle of the common room."

"Yeah," Victoire agreed. "That's definitely super weird."

"That's probably all it is," Kara assured her.

"You're probably right," Victoire agreed. "I don't know why I'm reacting so strongly to it all."

Kara reached over and gave Victoire a hug.

"I guess I should apologize to Brianna?" Victoire wondered.

"You can do that tomorrow," Kara assured her. "I'll make sure she knows it wasn't really about her."

"Thanks Kara," Victoire said as Kara moved off the bed.

"Goodnight Vic," Kara said before letting the curtain fall back into place.

Alone again, Victoire snuggled down under the covers and laid her head against her pillow. Kara was right. She was just weirded out by the whole thing. It also didn't help that Teddy was so public about his new relationship – that was probably why she was so frustrated with him whenever she saw him. If he would just keep his private life private, then she wouldn't have to see it, and then she wouldn't have to look at Teddy differently every time he tried to talk.

Sleep found Victoire relatively quickly that night and for once, her sleep was dreamless.

VvVvVvVvVvV

"There's no water!"

Victoire awoke the following morning to the horrified screeching of Brianna.

"What do you mean?" Victoire asked, sitting up groggily and pushing her curtains open.

"I mean there's no water!" Brianna repeated. "Literally. No water. At all."

"Like your glass is empty?" Victoire frowned in confusion, still half asleep. "Just go fill it up."

"Victoire, I need you to pay attention," Brianna said slowly. "There… is… no… water. Anywhere."

Realization dawning on her, Victoire shot out of bed and hurried into the bathroom. She went straight for the nearest sink and frantically turned the faucet, but nothing came out.

"Brianna," she said in dismay. "There's no water."

"That's what I've been trying to tell you," Brianna cried.

"Well what happened?" Victoire demanded.

"I don't know," Brianna replied. "Kara went down to the common room to try to find a prefect to sort it all out but she hasn't returned yet."

"What about Raina and Caitlin?" Victoire wondered. "Do they know anything?"

Brianna shrugged. "They were already gone when I woke up. As usual. Caitlin's probably running with Adrian, and Raina's probably in the greenhouse with her plants and her fertilizer."

Just then, Kara returned with a prefect in tow.

"Sorry girls, but it looks like there's no water anywhere in the castle," Beverly Longman told them, appearing in the doorway. "Professor Longbottom was just here to announce it. The prefects have a meeting with the Heads of House later today so that they can update us on the situation, but until then I don't have any more information."

"So what are we supposed to do?" Victoire demanded accusatorily, as though the whole problem was Beverly's fault.

"For now just manage as best you can and hopefully the water will be back on this afternoon," Beverly said before hurrying back downstairs, probably to explain to the rest of the students.

"Well this is a disaster!" Victoire cried once the three of them were alone again. "How am I supposed to wash my hair or brush my teeth without water?"

"You don't need water to brush your teeth," Kara pointed out.

"How am I going to clean my toothbrush?" Victoire asked.

"A simple cleaning charm should suffice," Kara replied. "I can do one if you'd like, I've gotten quite good at them."

"Fine," Victoire allowed. "But that doesn't solve the showering problem."

"At least you're relatively clean," Caitlin said, appearing in the doorway stinking of sweat. "I just ran around the castle five times only to get back to discover that there's no water."

"Well maybe now you'll be more careful about when you work up a sweat," Brianna said.

"Oh right," Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Because any of us could have predicted this," she said sarcastically.

"Whatever," Brianna muttered as Caitlin disappeared into the dorm.

VvVvVvVvVvV

"Hey there," Teddy said as he joined the three girls at breakfast that morning. "So this water shortage is pretty insane, right? The prefects have a meeting about it after classes, but I can update you as soon as it's over if you want."

"You stink," Victoire sniffed, stabbing her bacon with her fork and raising it to her mouth.

"Yeah, that's kind of the problem," Teddy joked, unperturbed by Victoire's cold attitude.

Victoire ignored him.

"Victoire, I – "

"We're going to be late to class," Victoire interjected, standing up and grabbing her things. "Come on guys."

VvVvVvVvVvV

"So it looks like we're going to be without water for a while," Teddy informed them later that afternoon in the library. "Professor McGonagall made an announcement at breakfast, but you were already gone."

"Yeah, we already heard," Victoire said coolly.

"Don't you want to know why?" Teddy asked.

"Does it really matter?" Victoire pointed out. "Either way, we're all going to smell for a few days."

"I just thought – "

"We've got homework," Victoire interrupted. "Would you mind letting us work?"

"Sorry," Teddy said sadly. "I'll just go…"

As Teddy walked away, Kara rounded on Victoire.

"Why are you being so mean to him?" she demanded.

Victoire shrugged. "I'm not. We just have a lot of homework."

"No we don't," Kara disagreed. "Come on Victoire, I know you don't want to talk about this, but whatever's bugging you is starting to affect other people. Teddy's miserable. You need to figure whatever all this is out and make things right with him before you lose him forever. Unless that's what you want. Do you want to lose Teddy forever?"

"No," Victoire admitted.

"Then talk to him already!" Kara cried.

Kara was right. Victoire was being dumb. Whatever it was that made her so angry with Teddy whenever she saw him, she had to confront it. She couldn't go on like this. Teddy was miserable. Kara and Brianna were miserable. Worst of all, Victoire was miserable.

VvVvVvVvVvV

"Go on," Kara insisted later in the common room. "Go talk to him."

"I don't think this is a good time," Victoire disagreed. Teddy and Beverly were sitting in front of the fire together, Beverly's head leaning on Teddy's shoulder.

"It's not like they're making out or anything. That you wouldn't want to interrupt," Brianna said. "But they're just sitting. In the middle of the common room. If they wanted to be alone, they could be."

"I don't really want to have the conversation in front of Beverly though," Victoire said.

"So ask Teddy if you can speak in private," Brianna said, as though this were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I don't want to make things even weirder," Victoire disagreed.

"You already are making things weird," Kara pointed out. "You can't make them any weirder at this point."

"I mean with Teddy," Victoire amended.

"Yeah," Kara agreed. "So do I."

Just then, Beverly leaned over and gave Teddy a swift kiss before standing up and heading up to the dorms.

"This is your chance," Kara said. "Go now, before he disappears on rounds or something."

"Okay," Victoire said, taking a deep breath. "Here I go."

She stood up and slowly approached the couch where Teddy was still sitting and staring at the fire.

"Hey Teddy," she said softly, crossing her arms in front of herself protectively. "Can we talk?"

"Yes! Absolutely!" Teddy said eagerly, gesturing for Victoire to sit down on the couch.

"I guess I just wanted to say… that I'm sorry for how I've been acting recently," Victoire said. "I don't know if you've noticed, but I've been kind of abrasive."

"Yeah, I did notice that," Teddy said. "What's that all been about?"

"I don't know," Victoire shrugged uncomfortably. This was why she hadn't wanted to come and talk to Teddy – she didn't want to face feelings she didn't completely understand herself. Sure, she understood some parts, but she still felt like she was missing something crucial

"Come on, it's me you're talking to," Teddy said. "You can be honest."

"I guess this whole Beverly thing is just a little weird for me," Victoire admitted. "I mean, she's the first girl I've seen you with, so it was a little shocking."

"Okay," Teddy said slowly, processing. "But that doesn't explain why you've been freezing me out the way you have."

Victoire shrugged again, hating how good Teddy was at seeing right through her.

"I guess I was also a bit mad that you were spending so much time with her instead of me. You're always around, watching out for me and stuff, and I know that's just because Uncle Harry and my father told you to, but I think I've been taking it for granted and I was sad that I was losing you," Victoire confessed.

"First of all," Teddy said. "You don't have to worry about losing me. No matter who I decide to date, you'll always have a special place in my life."

Victoire smiled. Maybe this conversation was a good idea.

"But what I still don't understand," Teddy continued, "is why if you were afraid of losing me, you decided to push me away?"

Victoire shook her head and turned away as she pondered Teddy's question. "I don't know…" Victoire muttered. "I was angry, and upset, and I hated seeing you with Beverly all the time. Always kissing in the corridors or making out in the common room… I just wanted… I wanted…" Victoire trailed off as suddenly, a light went off in her brain. "I wanted… oh my gosh!"

Victoire jumped up off the couch and covered her mouth. Realization flooded through her, along with a deep sense of mortification and just wrong-ness.

"I'm sorry, I have to go," she said, hurrying back to the corner of the room where Kara and Brianna were waiting for her.

"What happened?" Kara asked as Victoire returned.

"I just realized something," Victoire said, her eyes wide.

"What?" Kara wondered.

"I can't tell you down here. We have to go up to the dorm," Victoire insisted.

"Why?" Brianna asked.

"I'll tell you when we get there," Victoire insisted.

Reluctantly, Kara and Brianna gathered their things and followed Victoire up to the dorm. When they arrived, Victoire made sure Raina and Caitlin weren't around and then shut the door, magically locking it so nobody would walk in in the middle of her confession.

"So?" Kara asked, sitting cross-legged on her bed, eagerly awaiting Victoire's news.

"Okay, so you know how I've been so obsessed with Teddy and Beverly and so mad at Teddy and so moody and grumpy lately?" Victoire asked.

"Have you? I hadn't noticed," Brianna said sarcastically.

Victoire ignored her friend's comment.

"Well talking to Teddy just now made me realize. I think I like him. Like, really like him. Maybe even love him. I don't really know. But that's why I've been so weird and obsessive and jealous of Beverly," Victoire said.

Kara and Brianna sat in stunned silence.

Victoire closed her eyes. "I know, it's terrible," she said. "He's basically my cousin, practically like a big brother. Plus, he's like, two years older than me. It's so wrong that I like him, right? There must be something wrong with me?"

"Of course not," Brianna said, regaining the ability to speak. "But are you sure that's what this is?"

"Pretty sure," Victoire said.

"What about Nathaniel?" Kara asked. "Does this feel anything like how you felt for Nathaniel?"

"Not at all," Victoire admitted. "This is so much more. I don't think I ever really liked Nathaniel. I just liked the idea of having a boyfriend."

"Maybe this is just a crush," Brianna suggested. "Maybe you'll get over it."

"Yeah," Victoire agreed. "Maybe…"

"Look," Brianna said. "Do you want to pursue a relationship with Teddy?"

"Merlin no!" Victoire cried. "I mean yes, but no. I could never tell him how I feel. He'd be repulsed. We're like family. I'm like a kid sister. He'd never have these sorts of feelings for me. Besides, he's with Beverly, so it doesn't matter anyway."

"Okay, so if you don't want to pursue a relationship, then you only have one other option," Brianna informed her. "Move on."

"Yeah…" Victoire said quietly. This conversation hadn't gone exactly as she'd hoped. Back in the common room, everything had suddenly been so clear. Now things had gotten complicated again. "I think I need to sleep on it," Victoire decided. "I'll sort all this out in the morning."

Not waiting for comment from Kara or Brianna, Victoire pulled her curtains closed and for the second night in a row, crawled into bed still wearing her robes and pulled L'Ourson to her chest.

As Victoire waited for sleep to claim her, thoughts of Teddy began to swirl around in her mind. First it was just his face – his blue eyes and dirty blond hair, his shirt always slightly untucked from his pants, and his prefect badge standing out against his black robes, representing responsibility and leadership. Then thoughts of her family invaded her thoughts. How disgusted her parents would be knowing how she felt about the boy she had practically grown up with. How wrong it was to like Teddy.

Victoire knew she had to get Teddy out of her mind. At least now that she knew how she felt, she could deal with her feelings for what they were. But Victoire knew it was going to be difficult. Especially now that knowing how she felt, she wouldn't be able to push Teddy away anymore. Nor would she ever tell him how she felt. That would just be humiliating.

VvVvVvVvVvV

"Hey Vic," Teddy greeted Victoire the following morning at breakfast.

"Hey Teddy," Victoire squealed, unprepared for the sudden appearance of her newly discovered crush.

"You ran off pretty fast last night," Teddy said. "We never finished our conversation."

"Oh, that," Victoire said, about three octaves higher than her normal register. Kara and Brianna exchanged a look, but Victoire ignored it. "Haha, yes well, I remembered that I had to um… get some robes in the laundry before the elves took it away for the night."

Teddy frowned. "There's no water in the castle," he pointed out. "The elves can't do the laundry until it returns."

"Oh right!" Victoire screeched. "Well then I guess I didn't need to worry about that laundry. Won't be getting that back for a while. Oh well!"

"So are we good then?" Teddy asked, furrowing his brow in confusion at Victoire's odd behaviour.

"Yeah, of course, absolutely, definitely," Victoire confirmed. "We're great. Better than great. Super. Well not super. Maybe just great. Listen, I've got to get to class, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Yeah… sure," Teddy said.

"Victoire?" Brianna said as she and Kara followed Victoire out of the Great Hall. "You're a disaster."

"I know," Victoire sighed in desperation. "I don't know how I'm going to make this okay."

"You'll figure it out," Kara assured her. "I know you will."