Year 5: Head Over Heels
Chapter 44: December 2015
"France?!" Victoire cried in outrage. This was terrible, a disaster. Victoire wanted to cry and scream and throw things all at the same time.
"Chèrie," her mother said gently, "calm down, take a deep breath."
"I don't want to take a deep breath!" Victoire screeched. "I don't want to go to France!"
"You haven't seen your grandmother in over a year," her father reminded her. "Aunt Gabrielle either. Both of them are dying to see you."
"So let's go for a day then," Victoire said. "Why do we have to go for ten days?"
"You know how expensive international floo powder is," Bill said. "If we're going to use it, then we're damn well going to make a trip out of it."
"This is so unfair!" Victoire cried. "I had plans, you know."
"With Teddy?" Bill asked, crossing his arms in front of his body.
Victoire squirmed uncomfortably under her father's harsh gaze. "Maybe," she muttered.
"I think this will be good for the two of you," Fleur jumped in. "It'll be healthy to have some time apart."
"Merlin knows you probably spend all your time at school together," Bill added.
"We do not!" Victoire protested, even though knowing her parents were mostly right.
Bill cleared his throat. "You are aware that I am in contact with more than one of your Professors, one of whom is Teddy's grandmother?" he pointed out. "Any chance you want to revise your statement?"
"Well we spend some time together," Victoire admitted. "But I have other things in my life too. I have my friends, and classes, and now that I'm a prefect I have rounds as well."
"From what I hear, you and Teddy are doing most of your rounds together," Bill said.
"Well it's not like I make the schedule," Victoire threw up her hands. "And what's so wrong about spending time with my boyfriend? Isn't it a good thing that we want to be together?"
"You're just very young," Fleur said. "And we want to make sure that you have a life outside of Teddy too."
"So this whole trip to France is just to keep Teddy and me apart?" Victoire cried, her voice rising again.
"No," Bill shook his head. "That's just a happy coincidence."
VvVvVvVvVvV
As soon as Victoire arrived at the Burrow, she located Teddy and insisted that he come outside with her so that they could talk. Not wanting to be within view of the house where all their family could watch them, Victoire led him far away, over a hill and then down again to a little stream that her grandparents used to bring her to when she was little.
"What's wrong?" Teddy asked as they sat down together by the stream.
Victoire sighed. "My parents are forcing me to go to France for the remainder of the holiday," she said.
"Oh," Teddy said, frowning. "Is it because of – "
"No," Victoire shook her head. "Just a 'happy coincidence', they say. I mean, I haven't seen my grandmother in a while, my aunt either, so I see why we're going but… I really wanted to spend the holiday with you."
"Well it certainly would have been nice," Teddy agreed. "But we'll be fine. We can still write while you're in France, and we'll see each other again before you know it."
"I guess," Victoire nodded sadly, looking down at the ground.
"Hey," Teddy said, lifting her chin to force her to make eye contact. "None of that. We're together now, and we will be again in less than two weeks. It's not like you're going to America or something. And it'll be good practice. After all, next year we're going to have to deal with being apart for longer than two weeks. You'll be at Hogwarts and I'll be working somewhere."
"Oh, I hadn't even thought of that!" Victoire cried, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. "Teddy, what are we going to do?"
"We'll figure it out," Teddy promised. "We'll write. I'll visit when I can. We'll see each other on holidays. And after two years, you'll have graduated too, and it'll get easier."
"Really?" Victoire asked, warmth filling her upon heading Teddy's words. "You think we'll still be together when I graduate?"
"I hope so," Teddy said earnestly. "Don't you?"
Victoire nodded. "Of course," she said. "I want you forever."
She leaned forward and met Teddy's lips in a kiss, soft at first, but quickly developing into something more. Victoire suddenly felt overwhelmed with a sense of urgency – like she had to experience as much as she could with Teddy before she left for France – and before he graduated and left the school. Suddenly forever felt both much too short and much too long and all she knew was that Teddy was here right now, but that he wouldn't always be. She felt like she'd taken their time together for granted – having Teddy by her side daily, too see him in the morning before classes, and to kiss him goodnight every evening before heading up to bed – and after this year it would be a long time before she had anything like that again.
Their lips broke apart, Victoire gasping for air as Teddy began to trail kisses down her neck and back up the other side. Victoire closed her eyes, losing herself in the wonderful sensation of Teddy's lips trailing up and down her skin until she couldn't take it anymore and she pulled him back to her mouth, parting her lips immediately to let him in.
Reaching up with her hands, Victoire tangled them in Teddy's hair and pulled him down with her so that they were lying on the ground now, Teddy hovering above her. Enjoying this new position, Victoire kept one hand in Teddy's hair and let the other one move down his body to his back and then around to his chest.
Teddy broke their kiss then, leaning back. "Victoire, maybe we should – "
But Victoire silenced him by capturing his lips in another searing kiss. Desperate for more, Victoire reached down and pulled Teddy's shirt out of his pants, letting her hands slip underneath and back up, feeling his bare skin against her palms. His skin was soft, yet firm under her hands as she felt the lines of his muscles.
Impatiently, Victoire grabbed at the bottom of Teddy's shirt and began to pull it up, intending to pull it over Teddy's head. Realization of Victoire's intentions dawning on him, Teddy pulled away, pushing her hands away and pushing his shirt back down.
"Victoire, no," Teddy said. "Not here. Not like this."
"Why not?" Victoire demanded, feeling cold now that Teddy was no longer touching her. "Don't you love me?"
"Of course I do," Teddy assured her, reaching his hand towards her and then pulling it back, thinking better of it. "But we deserve better than this."
Tears of rejection stung in Victoire's eyes and she swiped at them, feeling ridiculous for it.
"Victoire no," Teddy said, this time abandoning his reservations and pulling Victoire into his lap, wrapping his arms around her. "Please don't cry."
"I'm not," Victoire insisted, trying to force the tears back but finding the task difficult. "I'm sorry, I'm being stupid."
"No, you're not," Teddy said. "Victoire I love you. I love you so much. And I want all of you, every part of you there is: heart, body, mind, and soul."
"I love you too," Victoire said, swallowing the lump that had formed in her throat and wiping at her eyes again.
"I want our first time to be special," Teddy said. "I don't want it to be rushed, or because you're sad that we're going to be apart, and I definitely don't want it to be somewhere that any of our family could walk down and find us."
Victoire nodded, seeing Teddy's point. "You're right," she agreed. "I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize," Teddy said. "Never apologize for this. I want it as much as you do, but it's just not the right time or place."
Victoire was silent for a few while and Teddy's hand began to idly play with her hair. Victoire felt her eyes flutter closed as she enjoyed the simple feeling of Teddy's hands in her hair, only opening them when she was ready to speak again.
"When?" she asked nervously.
Teddy's hand stilled. "I don't know," he replied. "We'll know when the time comes, I think."
"Okay," Victoire agreed, sighing happily as Teddy's hand resumed playing with her hair. "So we wait."
"We wait," Teddy confirmed.
VvVvVvVvVvV
After sitting by the stream for a while, Teddy and Victoire returned to the Burrow, knowing that if they stayed away too long, one of the adults would inevitably come looking for them. Upon their arrival, the adults decided that they should start the annual family Quidditch game and Grandfather Weasley called up to the younger cousins while Victoire and Teddy followed the adults out to the field.
"Have fun," Victoire smirked as Teddy joined the players and she took a seat on the ground on the sidelines.
Her cousins and siblings emerged from the Burrow, all taking seats in the ground next to her.
"Louis, you should play," Victoire heard James suggest. "You're at Hogwarts now, you've taken flying lessons."
Louis hesitated, but James took charge, announcing to the adults that Louis wanted to play, making the choice for him.
"Well all right then!" Harry said, welcoming Louis to the player's circle. "We've got a new player!"
The adults conferred for a while in their huddle, and Victoire wondered what they were discussing. Then Teddy broke away from the group and gestured for Victoire to come over.
"What's up?" Victoire wondered. "Are you not playing because the teams are uneven?"
"Actually…" Teddy said slowly. "I was thinking maybe you'd play. You know, to even the teams out. Because nobody wants to sit this one out."
"Teddy, you know I don't like to fly," Victoire insisted. "And I'm miserable at it. I don't think it's a good idea."
"Aww, come on," Teddy pleaded. "It's not a professional match. It's just family. Everyone will cut you a break, I know it."
"But I'm not a flier," Victoire protested. "Couldn't someone else do it?"
"I think it would be really fun if you agreed to play," Teddy said. "Just this one time. You know we've never flown together? I don't think I've ever even see you fly."
"There's a good reason for that," Victoire frowned.
"C'mon Vic, please?" Teddy begged. "For me?"
Victoire felt her resolve slipping away. "Alright," she sighed, knowing she would come to regret her decision. "Just this once."
"All solved," Teddy announced loudly, leading Victoire over to where the players were convened. "Victoire will make the teams even. Five against five."
"I'll be on Teddy's team," Victoire said.
"I don't think so," Bill shook his head, giving Victoire a look that made her extremely uncomfortable – almost as if he knew what she'd been trying to do earlier down by the stream. "Louis can be on Teddy's team. Victoire, you'll fly with me."
Victoire frowned, and then Teddy leaned over and whispered in her ear.
"Loser owes the winner a kiss?" he offered.
Victoire smiled, turning her head to whisper back to him. "Either way it's the same result," she pointed out.
"Then I guess this is a win-win," Teddy smirked.
As the adults made their final decisions on the teams, Victoire felt her father's gaze on her and Teddy and her smile disappeared. His expression was stern – very different from the attitude he'd had over the summer regarding their relationship. She hoped she was only imagining things, but she feared that something was wrong.
With the teams set, the players separated to the two sides of the field to confer about strategy. It was suggested that Victoire play chaser, as it was the least complicated of the positions, and she would have help. Victoire was immensely grateful for this, knowing that as a beater or a keeper, she would only let her team down. Aunt Angelina and Uncle Harry would be the other chasers on her team, with Uncle Charlie guarding the goalposts and Bill taking up the beater's bat.
On the other side of the pitch, Uncle Ron was apparently taking the keeper's position while Uncle George took up his own personal beater's bat. In terms of chasing opponents, Victoire would be up against Louis, Teddy, and her Aunt Ginny.
Victoire chose a broom and very slowly tried to fly upwards, to put some distance between her and the ground. She didn't go too high though, knowing that if she fell, the landing would be softer the lower down she fell from.
The game began, and it took all of Victoire's concentration to keep her broom steady. She could barely even keep track of the quaffle as it flew back and forth between Aunt Angelina, Aunt Ginny, Uncle Harry, and Teddy. Louis was passed the quaffle a few times, and after his first fumble he played relatively well.
Wobbling on her broom, Victoire panicked and started flying lower to the ground in fear of falling. Almost immediately, Teddy flew over to see what was wrong.
"Don't worry about me," Victoire insisted. "Go and play."
"Are you sure?" Teddy asked, double-checking.
"Yeah, I was just having trouble keeping my broom steady," Victoire assured him. "As soon as I'm stable again I'll re-join the game."
Victoire was glad for Teddy's concern, but when she caught her father watching them, she felt very self-conscious and tried to fly away from him, making it clear that he should focus on the game and not her. Once she was steady again, she started to regain her height and maybe try to be useful in the game, but it was too late. Louis had already caught the snitch.
In the ensuing chaos, Victoire found her way back to the ground, touching down and then tossing her broom into the broom shed, confident that she would never again attempt to play a game of family Quidditch again.
"Hey," Teddy said, coming over to her from after congratulating Louis on his catch. "So that wasn't so bad, was it?"
"Not for you," Victoire rolled her eyes. "At least your team won. And you were a useful player. My team might as well have played with four players, the way I played."
"Nah," Teddy shook his head. "You were great."
Seeing Bill watching them again, Victoire swallowed nervously.
"Hey Teddy," Victoire said, frowning in her father's direction. "Does papa seem at all strange to you today?"
"I haven't really talked much with him, why?" Teddy wondered.
"I just feel like he's always watching us with this disapproving look," Victoire said.
Teddy turned to see what she was talking about, but Bill's attention had turned to his son, who he was now congratulating.
"I don't see anything," Teddy shrugged.
"I don't know," Victoire shook her head. "Maybe I'm imagining things."
VvVvVvVvVvV
Soon dinner was ready, and Victoire and Teddy followed the rest of the family into the house to wash up. As Teddy and Victoire both headed to the kid's table, Bill stopped them, resting his hand on Teddy's shoulder.
"Teddy, you should join the adults now that you're seventeen," he said.
"Oh!" Teddy said, glancing between Victoire and her father. "Right well I – "
"I think we have a few things to talk about," Bill said, giving Teddy a look that said he didn't have a choice.
"Of course, Sir," Teddy nodded, sending Victoire an apologetic look as Bill steered him towards the table with the adults.
Worried about what her father was going to say, but powerless to do anything about it, Victoire sat down at the kids' table with Dominique and began to fill her plate. She tried to keep her eye on Teddy, but she lost sight of him as her father led him to the complete other side of the table, probably to keep them as far apart as possible.
VvVvVvVvVvV
When dinner was over, everyone began to move into the living room for Secret Santa. Pulling Teddy aside, Victoire was desperate to know what her father had wanted to talk to him about.
"Later," Teddy muttered to her, practically propelling her into the living room. "I'll tell you after when we're alone."
The annual Secret Santa tradition, which Victoire usually loved, couldn't have gone by any slower. Victoire spent the whole time worrying about what Bill had said to Teddy that she couldn't pay attention to anything that was going on, even when her Uncle Charlie had presented her with a necklace that he had purchased for her in Romania.
Once the gift exchanging was done, Grandmother Weasley passed around everyone's Christmas sweaters and the lined up for their annual family portrait. This year, Victoire' sweater was red with a white letter on the front – very Christmas-y.
Finally, after all the family traditions were done and some of the relatives started to head home, Victoire and Teddy were able to slip outside for a moment alone.
"Okay, I can't wait any longer," Victoire cried as soon as the door was firmly shut behind them. "What did my father want to talk about?"
"It was nothing bad," Teddy reassured Victoire, leading her to a bench where they could sit.
"Okay…" Victoire said, waiting for Teddy to elaborate.
"He just wanted to have a conversation – you know, man to man. About you. And our relationship," Teddy said.
"Oh God," Victoire cried, burying her face in her hands. "Did he do the 'I have a shovel and will bury you in the backyard' bit?"
"Not in those exact words," Teddy said. "But the sentiment was there."
"I'm so sorry," Victoire apologized. "That must have been so awkward. And with all our aunts and uncles right there?"
"That's the other thing…" Teddy hesitated. "They all know now."
"They do?" Victoire gasped. "How?"
"Uncle George," Teddy replied. "Apparently your announcement in Hogsmeade reached a few more people than we'd thought."
"Alright," Victoire nodded. "So they all know."
"They all seem really supportive," Teddy said. "They're happy for us."
"What about the cousins?" Victoire frowned. "If they knew, at least one of them would have mentioned it to me."
"They don't know," Teddy shook his head. "Everyone agreed that if we decide to tell them it'll be our decision."
"Right," Victoire nodded. "That's good, because I'm definitely not ready for Molly's analytical mind dissecting us, or the thousands of questions Roxanne will inevitably ask."
"Well whenever you're ready," Teddy agreed.
"But wait," Victoire said. "What about James, and Albus, and Lily? They're practically like your siblings, don't you want them to know?"
"When you're ready for Louis to know, then we can tell them," Teddy said.
"Thanks," Victoire smiled, knowing that Teddy would tell everyone immediately if it weren't for her hesitation. But having the adults know made her nervous enough. She wasn't ready for the kids to know too.
"I have something for you," Teddy said then, reaching next to him and producing a small package. "Merry Christmas."
"But I didn't bring your present!" Victoire cried, dismayed. "I figured since we were supposed to meet the day after Christmas to exchange gifts that you wouldn't bring yours, so I left it at home."
"Don't worry about it," Teddy said, placing the present into Victoire's lap. "You can give it to me when we go back to school."
"Maybe I should wait, and then we can open them together," Victoire suggested.
"I don't know," Teddy said. "I think you're going to want to put my present to use while you're in France."
"Well if you're sure you don't mind…" Victoire only needed to see Teddy's smile and small inclination of the head before she ripped into her present excitedly.
"Oh, Teddy," she said after pulling the paper off and opening the lid of the box. It was the high-heeled shoes she'd seen in Hogsmeade that she hadn't bought because they were too expensive for the limited times she'd be able to wear them. "Thank you."
"Now you'll have the most beautifully clad feet in all of France," Teddy smiled, glad Victoire liked his gift.
"I love them," Victoire said, sliding the box to the bench by her side. "And I love you."
"I love you too," Teddy said. "Even if you left my present at home."
"Hey!" Victoire protested. "We weren't supposed to be exchanging gifts tonight. It wasn't my fault."
"I can think of something you can give me," Teddy said, the register of his voice lowering as he leaned closer to Victoire. All the joking from before was forgotten as Victoire felt herself being pulled towards him, almost like magnets.
"What's that?" Victoire asked.
"You still owe me a kiss for winning the Quidditch game," Teddy replied, his lips now hovering so close to Victoire's, she could almost feel them.
"How could I forget?" she mumbled, leaning forward the smallest amount to close the distance between them, parting her lips and letting her bottom lip get caught up between Teddy's.
It may not have been the Christmas Victoire was expecting, but it was a wonderful Christmas nonetheless.