Year 5: Head Over Heels
Chapter 50: June 2016
Victoire tried to crack open her eyes, but her eyelids were too heavy. She thought about trying to shift – maybe turn to her other side – but the effort seemed overwhelming. She felt weighted down, like gravity had increased it's hold on her and she couldn't move if she wanted to. She didn't have the will to fight it.
Until she remembered her O.W.L.s.
Victoire immediately shot up on the couch into a sitting position and began furiously rubbing at her eyes to wake herself up. What time was it? How long had she been asleep? Why had nobody woken her up?
And then there, at the other end of the couch she'd been napping on was Teddy, casually reading through his defence notes.
"Teddy!" she cried in accusation.
"Victoire," he smiled in her direction. "You're awake."
"What was I doing asleep?" she demanded.
"You were exhausted," Teddy explained. "You needed the rest."
"No, what I needed to do was study," Victoire insisted, frantically scrambling to locate her bag and her transfiguration notes. "Exams start tomorrow."
"Which is exactly why you needed the break," Teddy said. "You're too stressed out."
"I'll take a break when these two weeks are finally over," Victoire said. "I can't believe this, how long did you let me sleep?"
"Only a couple of hours," Teddy replied.
"A couple hours?" Victoire cried. "That's insane! Twenty minutes maybe would have been fine, but you're saying I lost out on hours of revising time?"
"You'll thank me tomorrow when you don't fall asleep in the middle of your first exam," Teddy assured her. "Trust me, I've been through the O.W.L.s, I know how it gets. You have nonstop exams from tomorrow all the way through to next Thursday. You only get one morning and two afternoons off. You're going to be dead on your feet."
"You're taking your N.E.W.T.s," Victoire pointed out. "Doesn't that mean you should have rested too?"
"It's different," Teddy said.
"Yeah, I'm sure it is," Victoire muttered sarcastically.
"No really, it is," Teddy insisted. "I'm only taking four classes, so I only have four exams – and one of them doesn't even have a practical component. I'm going to have plenty of time in between my exams for rest. You're taking nine classes with only two not having practical components. My exams will of course contain more difficult material, and will be harder in that way, but the O.W.L.s are by far the most taxing."
"Well just because you've been through the O.W.L.s before doesn't give you the right to decide whether I should sleep or study," Victoire crossed her arms.
"True," Teddy agreed. "But does it count in my favor that I love you and was only concerned for your health and wellbeing when I decided to let you nap?"
Victoire felt herself soften at his words. She could never stay mad at Teddy long. "I suppose," she allowed. "It was sweet of you to care. But I really have to study now."
Victoire turned to her transfiguration notes while Teddy turned back to his defence notes. At some point, Victoire shifted so that she was leaning against Teddy while she revised and his hand absentmindedly started playing in her hair as he paid close attention to all the detailed theory he'd learned on homing spells.
VvVvVvVvVvV
The next morning was the first day of exams. When breakfast was over, the students all filed out of the Great Hall, fifth and seventh years waiting nervously in the Entrance Hall while the examiners got everything ready. Victoire had seen the examiners eating breakfast up at the head table with the Professors, and she'd been intimidated from the beginning. They all looked so serious, she was terrified of her practical exams when she would be one-on-one with one of them.
Too soon, the door opened, and students were instructed to file inside. The four long house tables were gone, and in their place were rows on rows of desks with chairs, all facing the front. The head examiner – who Victoire recalled was named Professor Henderson – instructed the OWL students to sit at the even numbered rows, while the NEWT students were to sit at the odd numbered rows. Victoire knew this was another anti-cheating precaution. She couldn't cheat on the person beside her if they were writing a different exam.
Victoire chose a seat in the middle of the room, and Teddy sat in the seat next to her. Brianna sat in the seat ahead of Victoire while Kara chose the one in front of Brianna. Billy stayed close too – taking the seat ahead of Teddy. All five wished each other luck and then fell silent as the examiners began to pass around the exams.
When it was over, Victoire thought she was ready to explode. She'd never sat such a long and difficult exam – and in the whole time, she hadn't even been able to finish.
"Don't worry, it's normal," Teddy assured her as they waited for the room to be reconverted into the Great Hall for lunch. Victoire was also starving. "Most people don't get to the end. It's just another way of ranking students against one another. But I'm sure you did fine."
"But there were still another three questions left," Victoire insisted. "Brianna, did you finish?"
"No," Brianna shook her head. "But I was mid-way through the last question when they summoned the test papers away."
"See?" Victoire cried. "Even Brianna got further than me!"
"Calm down Victoire," Teddy insisted, placing a steadying hand on her shoulder. "It's not about finishing, it's about having good answers. Quality over quantity, right?"
"I guess," Victoire shrugged.
After lunch, it was back into the Entrance Hall. This time, Professors Tonks and Derlid had them form two lines – one of OWL students and one of NEWT students. Of the five examiners, two would be handling the practical transfiguration OWLs while another two would be handling the practical defence NEWTs, while the head examiner would be moderating.
Victoire sat against the wall with Kara and Brianna on either side as she tried to mentally prepare herself. One by one, fifth and seventh years were called into the Great Hall for their turns. When they would emerge, the Professor supervising them in the hall would watch them as they passed everyone and headed for the Grand Staircase to wherever they were heading to make sure they didn't share any details of the exam with their friends.
Kara's turn came before Victoire's, and before she knew it, Professor Tonks was telling her it was her turn. Victoire took a deep breath and stood, slowly walking into the Great Hall.
"OWLs, right?" Professor Henderson asked as Victoire looked around the Hall to see where she was meant to go. "Professor Barnes is free, right up there."
Victoire looked where the examiner was pointing and saw the examiner in question, sitting behind a large table, on which sat a number of various objects.
Victoire walked up and sat down at the empty seat across from Professor Barnes, trying to control her breathing so he wouldn't see how nervous she was.
"Name?" the examiner asked.
"Victoire Weasley," Victoire replied. The examiner made a note on a piece of paper.
"Please transfigure this teapot into a tortoise," the examiner said, jumping right into the exam.
Victoire took a breath as she readied her wand. This spell she could do. It was a third year spell. She spoke clearly and felt relieved when she managed to cast it without a problem.
Professor Barnes made a note on the exam paper, his facial expression giving Victoire no clue as to whether it was positive or negative. It must be positive though – she'd pulled off the spell after all.
"And now if you could turn the tortoise into a turtle," the examiner said.
Victoire felt her chest tighten. She'd never been too good at cross-species switches. At least it was a rather simple one – turtles and tortoises were so similar.
She cast the spell successfully on her first try and mentally applauded herself. As the examiner made a note on her paper though, she noticed that the markings on her turtle's back weren't quite right and she silently cursed herself for not getting it perfect.
"And now if you could turn the turtle back into a teapot?" the examiner requested.
This was easier than the cross-species spell, and Victoire was confident as she cast the spell to make the turtle into an inanimate object again. Unfortunately, in casting the spell, she realized that she should have switched the turtle back into a tortoise first. When her finished result was half-teapot, half-turtle, the examiner tsk-ed and made a note, calmly turning the teapot right himself.
"Can I try that again?" Victoire asked. "I know what I did wrong."
"No do-overs," Professor Barnes informed her. "Don't have time to give them to everyone."
Victoire nodded. She understood, but she still wished he could have made an exception.
"Please switch the teapot with this goblet," the examiner continued with the examination.
Victoire pulled herself together. Switching spells. She could do these. She focused on the items in front of her and cast the spell, feeling relieved when she cast it perfectly.
The examiner still made no comment as he added another note to her paper. Victoire itched to see what he was writing, but contained herself. She would probably get in trouble for trying to read it – maybe even fail the exam for cheating or something.
"Now if you could create a replica of the goblet?" the examiner asked.
They were getting into the really complicated magic now, and Victoire concentrated hard as she cast this next spell. She knew she could do it, and was happy when her replica looked exactly like the original.
"And finally, if you could vanish the extra goblet?" the examiner requested.
Victoire swallowed. She'd known she'd be asked to cast a vanishing spell. There was no way around it. But she'd hoped nonetheless that maybe her examiner would forget to ask, or at least that the item would be smaller than a goblet.
She held her wand tighter than usual as she took a breath and cleared her throat. She cast the spell, and to her horror, nothing happened.
"Can I try that once more?" Victoire asked, panicked. He'd said no do-overs before, but surely that didn't count in situations like this!
"You may," the examiner allowed.
Victoire tried again, this time loosening her grip, and managed to vanish the top half of the goblet.
The examiner made a note and Victoire felt her heart sink. Surely she'd failed. How could she pass transfiguration if she couldn't vanish a simple goblet?
"Thank you Miss Weasley, you're free to go," Professor Barnes declared.
"That's it?" Victoire blanched.
"That's it," he replied.
"But I only did six spells," she said.
"They are sufficient to assess your aptitude," the examiner said. "If you wouldn't mind, we're on a bit of a tight schedule here."
"Of course," Victoire muttered, lowering her head. She got up and headed for the door, feeling lousy. There was no way she'd passed after the three mistakes she'd made. She'd messed up half the exam!
As she reached the door, she crossed paths with Teddy as he headed to the opposite end of the room for his practical defence exam. He reached to squeeze her hand reassuringly, but Victoire couldn't bring herself to look him in the eye. Not after her disastrous first exam.
She hurried out of the room and ran straight for the library. If she'd failed transfiguration that was one thing. But potions was the following day, and she wasn't going to fail that.
VvVvVvVvVvV
Teddy found Victoire in the library shortly after his practical exam had finished.
"How'd it go?" he asked, sitting down with her.
"Terrible," Victoire said, hiding her face. "I messed up my cross-species switch, and then thoughtlessly forgot to switch my turtle back into a tortoise before reverting it to a teapot. And my vanishing was a disaster!"
"Could you not vanish at all?" Teddy asked.
"Only half the goblet," Victoire admitted. "It was pathetic."
"That doesn't sound so bad," Teddy said.
Victoire frowned. "How can you say that?" she demanded.
"Well you're not going to get an O," Teddy joked, stopping laughing as soon as he saw that Victoire didn't think it was funny. "But look, you're not going to fail over something so small."
"Vanishing isn't small!" Victoire cried. "It's one of the biggest parts of the OWLs."
"That's what they'd like you to think," Teddy said. "But vanishing is just as important as doubling or anything else."
"My doubling did go well," Victoire commented.
"See?" Teddy said. "And your grade is a combination of the theoretical and the practical anyway. You have nothing to worry about. And if it turns out you do, were you really going to continue in transfiguration anyway?"
"I guess not," Victoire shrugged.
"Exactly," Teddy said. "So it doesn't matter."
"You're right," Victoire said, feeling much better. Teddy always had a way of making her feel better.
"So what's next?" Teddy asked then, gesturing to Victoire's notes.
"Potions tomorrow," she sighed. "You?"
"Transfiguration on Wednesday," Teddy replied. "I have tomorrow off, since it's muggle studies N.E.W.T.s in the morning, and then in the afternoon the seventh years are off to give you all the room for brewing."
"You mean we're all going to be brewing in there together?" Victoire frowned. She'd just assumed it would be like today and they'd go in one at a time.
Teddy nodded. "It takes time to brew a potion," he noted. "Probably you'll all have different ones though, so there won't be any chance of cheating."
"I hope I get an easy one," Victoire swallowed. "I want to do well."
"Even if you get the draught of peace, I know you'll do fine," Teddy assured her, naming the last potion she'd learned about, and the one she'd had the least amount of time to learn.
"And you'll do great in transfiguration," Victoire added, wanting to reciprocate. "You're a natural."
Teddy smiled. "Thanks Vic."
VvVvVvVvVvV
When the exams were finally over, Victoire was relieved. She could stop stressing about them now. Sure, she wouldn't have her results for a month still, but there was nothing more she could do. Things were what they were, and she'd either passed or failed. At least she had a month left before she had to face the reality of her results.
But no sooner than the relief settled over her, worry settled in too. With exams out of the way, it was only one short week before they would all be back on the train, heading home to their families. And for Victoire and Teddy, it meant the beginning of the next two years apart. Sure, Victoire knew she'd see Teddy over the summer, and he'd promised to visit her at school when he could, but it wouldn't be the same.
"Teddy, I don't want to go," Victoire said one day as the two sat by the lake and enjoyed the nice weather. "I want to just stay here in this moment forever."
"Me too," Teddy agreed. "But you know we can't."
"I know," Victoire sighed.
They were silent for a moment.
"Oh!" Teddy exclaimed suddenly. "I forgot to tell you. I got that job at the Ministry."
"In the Department of International Magical Cooperation?" Victoire asked, a huge smile breaking out across her face.
Teddy nodded. "I'm going to be the newest junior administrative assistant in the office of international trading standards," he said proudly.
"That's so great!" Victoire reached around to hug Teddy. "I'm so happy for you."
"And my grandmother has been helping me look for a place," Teddy added. "We think we've found one, so I could be moving in as early as the beginning of August."
"Wow, so soon!" Victoire exclaimed. She'd expected that Teddy would have to live at home for a while before finding his own place – which would have been fine given that Professor Tonks lived at Hogwarts ten months of the year anyway, and he'd have had the place to himself.
"And if I move in the summer, then you can help me move in and everything," Teddy smiled. "Help decorate and all that. Since it'll be your place too in a couple of years."
Victoire smiled. "We'll see if my father will let me," she said. "I don't know how he's going to feel about us being alone together at an apartment."
"How is it any different from us being alone together at Hogwarts?" Teddy frowned.
Victoire laughed. "It's not really, but he won't like it," she assured him.
They lapsed into silence again, which was only broken when Victoire sighed deeply and sadly.
"What's wrong?" Teddy wondered.
"Nothing," Victoire replied, sounding distant.
"Well I know that's not true," Teddy frowned.
Victoire sighed again. "I know we've talked about this time and time again," she said. "And I know there's nothing we can do about it – I have to finish my education and you have to go out into the world and work. But I'm just going to miss you so much."
"I'll miss you too," Teddy said, pulling Victoire closer to him as he spoke. "But I'll visit as often as I can, and we can write, and I'll see you on holidays… we're going to make this work."
Victoire nodded. She didn't doubt Teddy on that. They would make it work. Long distance relationships weren't ideal, but they happened. And this was only sort-of long distance.
"It'll be so lonely around here without you," Victoire said.
"You'll still have your friends," Teddy pointed out. "Kara and Brianna."
Victoire nodded. Teddy was right. It wasn't as though she'd be completely alone.
"They're not you though," Victoire said.
Teddy chuckled at this. "I hope not," he said.
Victoire swallowed then as she thought of the days to come.
"The train takes me away tomorrow," she said.
Teddy nodded. First through sixth years were heading home tomorrow, while the seventh years were sticking around for their graduation ceremony. Teddy had of course invited Victoire to his graduation, but she still had to ride the train home, and then find her way back to the school the day of the ceremony. Hogwarts wouldn't let her just stick around. It was the same for anyone though.
"This could be our last chance to be alone," Victoire added.
Once they returned to the common room, there would be tons of Gryffindors milling around. Kara and Brianna would want a last game of truth or dare, or exploding snap. And then tomorrow, everything would happen so fast, that Victoire would be gone before she knew it, waving goodbye to Teddy as her carriage pulled away from the school.
Teddy didn't have to say anything in response to Victoire's comment. Instead, she shifted in his arms so that they were facing each other and she looked up into his eyes, soaking up the feeling of being seen by Teddy, of being loved by Teddy.
And then Teddy was kissing her, and Victoire forgot. She forgot about leaving, and about Teddy graduating. She forgot about OWL results and Teddy going to work at the Ministry. She forgot about the long months of letter writing that loomed in front of her. She forgot everything except the feel of Teddy's lips on hers, and his hands around her. And even though her life was far from perfect, it didn't matter. Because right there, by the lake, under the warm June sun, for a moment, everything was perfect.