Spring 2017

"I've noticed that you've taken a particular interest in smartphone design in your recent essays," Professor Watson said to Teddy. Teddy was meeting with Watson in his office after the professor cryptically told him that he had an "opportunity" for him.

"It's not unusual," Watson continued, "and most of my students have many opinions on how to improve the design of something that we all use every day."

"You have a girlfriend, right Ted?" Watson asked. "Still at Hogwarts?"

Teddy nodded slowly. He wasn't sure where Watson was going with this.

"Right, well, I presume the two of you stay in touch via owl? Or, more likely, the post office to avoid the possibility of an owl swooping into my classroom during a lecture?"

Teddy nodded again. "Professor, where are you going with-"

"That's what I thought," Watson continued. "It must be terribly frustrating to be able to reach out to any of your classmates here within seconds, but to have to wait days to hear from your girlfriend."

Watson shook his head, which caused his hair to flop around wildly. "The magical community can and should do better."

Watson adjusted his glasses and peered over at Teddy. "You must be wondering where I'm going with this."

"Well," he said, clasping his hands together. "Like I said, I have an opportunity for you. My colleagues in San Francisco are on an advisory board studying the specifications for this new generation of mobile broadband technology. The magical government out there in California is working with them to see if they can solve the tricky problem of getting muggle wireless technology and magic to coexist and stop interfering with each other."

Teddy raised his eyes and sat up straighter.

"They're trying to find a way to tweak the specs of this new 5G technology so that mobile phones no longer turn into paperweights in the presence of increased magical activity, such as in places like Hogwarts. They're looking for students to help them with their research, and I would like to recommend you."

Teddy was stunned. "T-thank you professor, but why…me?"

"Because," Watson said. "I think you are a sufficiently motivated and curious student. Although you are not muggleborn, you grew up with muggles and have a deep fascination with muggle society and, in particular, their technology. That's why you signed up for this exchange program, is it not?"

Teddy couldn't argue with any of that. Instead, he asked, "did you say that the program in California would take a year?"

Watson nodded. "It would be a one-year exchange program, yes. But don't worry, I can arrange to have all the credits transferred over here so you don't have to miss a year of school. We could combine your special research with an existing exchange partnership we have with a uni out there."

While that was nice to hear, that wasn't what Teddy was worried about.

"Take some time to think about it, won't you?" Watson said, sensing Teddy's hesitation. "There's no rush, after all. Applications won't be due until the end of March, so you've still got time."

"Thanks Professor. I'll think about it."

"Excellent."

The more Teddy thought about it, the more Teddy realized that what Watson was offering him was on the right track towards what he wanted to do with his life: to take the best of both the wizarding and muggle worlds to make something even better.

There was no doubt that muggles had figured out real-time communication much better than wizards had. If he could help find a way to make mobiles work in wizarding homes, then that would be an instant gamechanger! Obviously, he wasn't going to make much of a difference in anything in just one year, but he would be able to watch the experts work and learn from them.

He got excited just thinking about it.

But he knew that what made him hesitate, from the very beginning, was Victoire.

California is far away. He and Victoire already struggled with long distance when he was in London and she was in Scotland. At least he could go to King's Cross and meet Victoire when she visited for the holidays, and he could also regularly apparate to Hogsmeade to see her. Next year, she'd be of age and able to visit Hogsmeade practically every weekend, so it would almost be as if they weren't apart at all.

But California was far enough away that he would have to apply for a portkey every time he wanted to visit Britain. Which - Teddy suddenly realized - could sometimes be a more bureaucratic process than simply purchasing a ticket to fly on a muggle jetliner.

And he didn't even want to think about how post would work. The fastest owl would probably take a day and a half to complete the one way trip. If he needed to involve the muggle post office, well, that would just be a pain.

Maybe he could send his letters to Tom via his phone and have Tom forward the letter to Victoire through the post, but he didn't like the idea of Tom reading everything he wrote to her.

And then, there was that other thing where he hated leaving people alone. He had been left alone as a child when his parents passed away, and that emotional scar never really left him. It drove him nuts whenever he was left alone somewhere waiting for the other person to show up. He'd be doing that to Victoire if he left for California.

He hated that feeling and he really didn't want to move halfway around the world and make Victoire feel like she was being left behind. Leaving for Hogwarts the first time was hard enough as it was. Graduating Hogwarts was harder still. But moving to California? That would be in another league.

He'd still have some time to think about it, although it was very annoying that he didn't have anyone to go to with relationship problems like this.

Most of the people he would have gone to seek advice from were related to Victoire, and he didn't want to bring them into his drama. And most of his friends were also Victoire's friends.

Well, he could talk to his grandma. As much as his grandma adored Victoire, Andromeda was still his grandma and he shouldn't feel bad about getting her involved, right?

Later that evening, as he swung by the orphanage to have supper with her, Teddy ran into Olivia and her new boyfriend in the hallway.

"Teddy, hi!" Olivia said when she saw him. "Err, sorry, I suppose you prefer to go by Ted now?" She grinned.

"It's fine, Teddy's fine, anyone who knew me from before can continue calling me Teddy.

And who's this?" Teddy asked, looking at Olivia's companion.

"Oh, this is Vince! I can't believe you two haven't met yet, he's my boyfriend! We met in school - we're classmates - but in the last few weeks we decided to give this boyfriend/girlfriend thing a try."

"Nice to meet you Vince," Teddy said, reaching out a hand.

"Nice to meet you too, Teddy," Vince replied, shaking Teddy's hand. "Or should I call you Ted?"

"Teddy's fine," Teddy said, grinning.

"What's the point of having that rule about who can and can't call you Teddy if you're just going to break it will-nilly?" Olivia said.

Teddy shrugged. "I dunno, I feel awkward making your boyfriend call me Ted when you call me Teddy."

"Good point."

"So how do you two know each other?" Vince asked, gesturing between Teddy and Olivia.

"Teddy is the orphanage director's grandson," Olivia said. "So the two of us, along with Tom - who you'll meet, he's Teddy's roommate - and Victoire, who is Teddy's now-girlfriend, all grew up together and we kinda formed a little tight-knit group."

"Oh! Tom, I think I remember him from school, he was one year ahead of us right? Tall guy?"

Teddy nodded, "Yup, that's the one."

"How come I've never seen you or Victoire at school before?"

"Oh, they went to some fancy boarding school up in Scotland somewhere," Olivia made a swatting gesture with her hand, indicating that it wasn't a big deal. "Besides, I don't think Victoire is from around here anyway, right?"

"Oh, Victoire didn't live here with you all?"

"No, Victoire wasn't an orphan. She was just Teddy's best friend and tagged along with him whenever he was here." Olivia grinned. "Took them forever to figure out that they fancied each other though, it was painful to watch for the rest of us."

Vince laughed.

"The transition from best friends to couple is complicated," Teddy winced. "It's not as easy as getting together with a stranger or acquaintance, there's a lot more risk there."

"I guess that makes sense," Vince said. "I couldn't even imagine knowing someone for that long. My family runs a cattle farm in the outskirts of town, but growing up, my parents took me all around Europe because they wanted me to 'see the world' and not be tied down to one place like they had growing up. So I never stayed rooted in any one place long enough to develop those ties."

"Wow," Teddy exhaled. "That must have been an eventful childhood."

"You get used to it," Vince shrugged. "And having to say goodbye to one set of friends and having to make new ones every year grew old pretty quickly. That's why I was so happy that my parents finally settled back here two years ago."

"And that's how we met!" Olivia said happily, linking her arms with his. "Even though we weren't super close friends, we were always floating around the same social circles."

"Olivia asked me out first," Vince confessed. "She just walked up to me one day and planted a kiss on my cheek and told me she fancied me." He turned to look at Olivia admiringly, although her cheeks started to turn red. "If she hadn't done that, I think we'd still be in that strange in-between phase."

Teddy nodded understandingly. He knew exactly how that felt.

"Teddy! You're here!" Teddy turned around and saw her grandmother walking down the hall. She looked over Teddy's shoulder and saw Olivia and Vince. "Would the two of you like to join us for supper?" She asked.

"Sorry director, we'll have to pass. This one here," she nudged Vince, "and I have a little date planned. He's going to show me how to barbecue steak the way his family's done for generations, and then…" she paused for effect, "we're going to eat it."

Vince laughed.

"You two have fun then," Andromeda smiled. "Remember to be back-"

"By curfew, yes I know," Olivia groaned. "How could I forget that, growing up here?"

Andromeda reached out to pat Olivia's head adoringly. "It's my job to be that annoying old person, always reminding you."

After Olivia and Vince left, Teddy told his grandma about the exciting new opportunity that Watson had offered him, and then shared his fears about what it would mean for him and Victoire, given that they already seemed to struggle a bit with the long-distance thing.

Andromeda listened patiently and nodded her head along when it was appropriate. When he was finished, she was silent for a moment before saying, "you should talk to her about it."

Teddy looked at his grandma with a questioning look. "But I haven't even decided if I want to go or not. If I decide not to go, then I wouldn't have needed to worry her in the first place."

Andromeda shook her head. "That's not the point. There are two points, actually. First, Victoire may not be as bothered by you leaving for a year as you've imagined in your head. She's not you, Teddy, she may not react the same way you would."

"Secondly, you should want to talk to her and discuss these future plans with her. The earlier the better. That way, you would be communicating to her that you are thinking about what role she will play in your future plans."

His grandma was right, of course. She usually was. But her advice was much easier said than done.

"I've made your favorite soup," Andromeda said, waving a hand at him. "Eat up!"


As it turns out, the start of Teddy's second term at uni was a whirlwind of activity, including exams and projects that tested Teddy's time management capabilities. He'd thought about heeding his grandma's advice and confiding in Victoire about the exchange program, but he didn't feel like it was appropriate to talk about it through letters.

Only one of Victoire's Hogsmeade trips between New Years and Easter fell on a weekend when Teddy was relatively free, and he was determined to make the most of it. He wanted to show Victoire something deeply personal, something that he'd never shared with anyone during his seven years at Hogwarts.

So he decided to postpone talking to her about it until Easter. He knew that by delaying so long, he would be completely tossing aside his grandma's advice, but he really didn't think there was a good way to broach the topic.

Besides, he had more important things planned for today's Hogsmeade trip.

Harry had told him all about the Shrieking Shack before he left for Hogwarts, but Teddy didn't want to bring unwanted negative attention to his parents and kept it quiet while he was at Hogwarts. It wasn't that he didn't trust Victoire to keep a secret for him if he told her to, he just never had the chance to share it with her and there were always more fun things to do in Hogsmeade than visit the Shrieking Shack.

"So what's it going to be?" Teddy asked Victoire as they stood in the main plaza in the middle of Hogsmeade. "Madam Puddifoot's or the Shrieking Shack?"

"You know full well what I think of Puddifoot's," Victoire giggled, lightly smacking Teddy on the arm. "Why is the other choice the Shrieking Shack? Are you purposely trying to make me suffer that intolerable mess of teenage hormones disguised as a coffee shop?"

Teddy smiled mischievously. "Well if you put it that way…" he draped an arm over Victoire's shoulder and started leading her towards Puddifoot's. "It has been a while since I've gotten a good snog."

Victoire placed her hand on Teddy's back and swung him around so that his face was in front of her's. She then leaned in and gave Teddy a deep kiss that felt so warm and soft and good that Teddy momentarily forgot that he was in the middle of a crowded, public plaza. A couple of third-year boys whistled loudly as they walked by, laughing as they ran away from the couple.

"Sorry," Victoire said, blushing as she pulled away. "I've been wanting to do that for a while too, and the moment seemed right," she said, grinning.

Teddy grinned back.

This felt perfect. It was remarkable how when the two of them were together, things seemed to just fall into place, but when they were apart, they were always on different wavelengths. But she was standing in front of him now, in the flesh, bantering with him like they always did, Teddy wondered how he ever could have thought that they were having communication problems.

"Now that we got that out of the way," Victoire said, "I believe Shrieking Shack is next on the itinerary?"

"You'd be right," Teddy said, linking his hands with Victoire's and guiding her away from Puddifoot's and towards the edge of town. "Didn't want to go to Puddifoot's anyway," Teddy added.

"Then why'd you suggest it?" Victoire laughed.

"I don't know," Teddy replied. "Puddifoot's and the Shrieking Shack were the only two places left in this charming little hamlet that we haven't been to yet."

"I'm curious to see what you have planned for us to do at the Shrieking Shack," Victoire asked questioningly. "Because if you're just planning on staring at that dilapidated building from the outside, then that'll take all of two minutes and then we'd be heading back to town for some Puddifoot's."

Victoire gave a look of disgust. "And neither of us want that."

Teddy smiled in agreement as the pair walked up the path to the Shrieking Shack. "I want to show you something. I think it'll take longer than two minutes…right this way," Teddy said as he hopped over the short fence that ringed the property.

"You're not afraid of whatever spirits are haunting the shack?" Victoire asked as she followed Teddy over the fence.

Teddy shrugged. "Not really. No one's heard any loud sounds coming from the shack in decades."

Victoire grinned. "You know, I've actually been inside before."

Teddy raised an eyebrow. "You have?"

"Yup. Stacy dared me to do it and I figured why not. Besides, I've heard about others who have gone in and nothing's happened to them. If it really was dangerous, McGonagall would've put barriers in place to prevent students from going in."

"Impeccable logic," Teddy laughed. "You're right, there's no spell or dark magic involved with the Shrieking Shack."

"How do you know that for sure?" Victoire asked.

"Because," Teddy said, glancing around to make sure no one was watching before opening the door. While it wasn't technically prohibited to go into the Shrieking Shack, he didn't want people to spot him and Victoire going into an abandoned house alone, which is how rumors start. He wouldn't be around to deal with them, but Victoire would.

"Harry told me all about this place," Teddy said.

"What did he tell you?"

"I've never told anyone this before," Teddy said soberly. He'd always been quiet and reserved when it came to his parents. "This used to be my dad's and his friends' hideout when they attended Hogwarts."

Teddy looked at Victoire and saw that she was looking at the large scratch marks on one of the walls. She blinked but didn't say anything further, looking at Teddy and indicating for him to continue his story.

"When Dumbledore admitted my dad to Hogwarts, he needed a place for my dad to be able to safely transform. There were already rumors that the shack was haunted, and Dumbledore encouraged those rumors. My dad would come here to transform, and the loud noises from his transformation scared all the villagers even more."

"Wow, I never knew," Victoire said.

"Harry only told me this right before I came to Hogwarts because he felt like I should know about my family history."

Victoire breathed heavily, taking the news in.

As the pair wandered through the rooms in the shack, Teddy continued to tell Victoire about how his dad met his friends, including Harry's dad, forming the Marauders, and how the Marauders became animagus in order to transform with his dad during the full moon and accompany him on his adventures.

"Wow," Victoire exhaled. "That sort of friendship…"

"It creates a lasting bond," Teddy finished. "Harry told me he saw his dad, my dad, and their other friend, Sirius, through the resurrection stone before he faced Voldemort at the Battle of Hogwarts. He told me how after all the things they faced together, they found each other again on the other side."

Teddy stopped and looked at the ceiling, where there was a particularly large gash in the wooden paneling. "It took months after Harry told me about this place for me to visit for the first time. But when I first came here, I spent an hour walking around, surveying the damage and imagining the fun that my dad and his friends must've had here when they were students."

Teddy sniffled a little. "It helped me get over some of those issues I had when I first started Hogwarts and was moping around and being a loner," Teddy smiled.

"After a while, I stopped coming here because I didn't need to come so regularly anymore. Then you finally came to Hogwarts and we had so much fun with Mia running around and everything… Then, the other day I realized that I never showed you this place, which holds such special meaning to me, and I wanted to share it with you, Twa."

Victoire looked at Teddy with a big smile on her face. "Thank you Teddy, it means a lot to me." She inhaled deeply. "I feel like I'm being let in on a little Teddy secret that only I'm privy to and it makes me feel special. Don't go around telling everyone else about this place or I'm going to start to feel un-special," Victoire grinned.

"Well Harry already knows so don't start thinking you're all that," Teddy retorted.

"But really," Teddy said seriously, "I don't like to talk about my parents much with people that I'm not close to, so you don't have to worry about that."

Victoire closed the gap between them and gave Teddy a long hug. "You opening up about your parents and showing me this place really means the world to me," she told him.

"I know," Teddy said, running a hand through Victoire's hair as he embraced her back.

Victoire suddenly started looking around. "Are we still in the shack?" She asked. "I wasn't paying attention where we were wandering off to, but it looks like we're in a cave of some sort."

Teddy also looked around. "Oh, I think we walked downstairs and we're in a hidden tunnel that leads back to Hogwarts."

"Really?" Victoire asked in surprise.

"Yeah, Teddy nodded. "There had to be a way for my dad and his friends to get to Hogsmeade during school days in order to transform. So Dumbledore made this tunnel and added security on the other side so only people who knew the secret could come in."

"What sort of security?" Victoire asked.

"The whomping willow," Teddy said.

"No!" Victoire said, her eyes wide.

Teddy nodded seriously.

"How do you get past that?" Victoire stopped walking.

"Apparently there's a knot at the base of the tree that if you push, the tree stops trying to murder you."

"Are you telling me that this is a way to sneak out of Hogwarts?"

Teddy shrugged. "I'm not telling you to break the rules," he said playfully, "but I'm not going to complain if you did."

Victoire laughed and swatted at him. "I've got my NEWT year coming up, I'm not going to risk my academic standing in order to sneak out and fool around with you," she said, laughing.

"I didn't tell you to do that," Teddy laughed, playfully fending off Victoire's swings. "I just told you I wouldn't complain if you did."

"Those two mean the same thing," Victoire said, smiling.

The two continued walking down the tunnel in silence until they came out on the other side.

"Here, watch this," Teddy said to Victoire. He pointed at a knot at the base of the tree near the entranceway and gave it a push. "Now you can walk out and not worry about that bloody tree knocking you out."

"Thanks," Victoire said appreciatively.

"And since we have a moment before the whomping murderer activates again, I thought we could have a picnic here," Teddy grinned, taking off his knapsack to reveal that it had been charmed to have expanded dimensions, fitting an entire picnic basket and towel inside.

"Did you make lunch?" Victoire squealed.

"Yup," Teddy said. "Nothing too special, just sandwiches and crisps."

"I love it," Victoire said.

"We'll have to push that knot every so often, but I think it'll be fine," Teddy grinned. "You won't have as nice a view of the lake or the forest anywhere else on the grounds."

Victoire nodded happily.

After the pair finished eating, they leaned against the Whomping Willow for what felt like hours, talking about everything - Quidditch, how Tom, Olivia, and Mia were doing, professors, homework - everything but the exchange program. Teddy couldn't find an appropriate time to bring it up.

They really only had the chance to chat for a few minutes before Teddy glanced at his watch. "Oh, look at the time!" He began packing the picnic items while apologizing to Victoire.

"Do you have to go already, so soon?" Victoire asked.

Teddy nodded sadly. "Can't be caught at Hogwarts now that I've graduated already, can I? Besides, I've got a study group in fifteen minutes for tomorrow's exam so I gotta head back."

"I'll miss you," Victoire said, pulling Teddy into a hug and giving him a peck on the cheek.

"I'll miss you too, Twa," Teddy said, returning her embrace.

"When will you ever stop calling me that?" Victoire mumbled.

"Probably never," Teddy smiled, pulling away but cupping her cheek in his hand.

"Maybe I should start calling you Ted then," Victoire replied.

"You would never do that. Besides, even if you did, that wouldn't make me stop calling you Twa."

"You're right, I could never call you Ted."

"I know," Teddy whispered into her ear, before pulling away slowly. "See you at Easter?"

Victoire nodded. "See you then."

"Oh, I almost forgot," Teddy suddenly said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small, wooden swan figure that he had carved during woodshop class. "This is for you."

"You made this?" Victoire asked in surprise.

Teddy nodded. "It's a swan. You told me that you managed to make a corporeal patronus during Defense the other day, and it was a swan. I wanted to congratulate you."


Teddy had been eagerly anticipating Easter holidays - and seeing Victoire - for weeks. Knowing that Victoire had arrived home hours earlier, Teddy walked up to Shell Cottage with a bounce in his step and knocked on the door.

Victoire opened the door and enveloped Teddy in a tight embrace. "I've missed you," she said softly into his ear.

"Me too," Teddy sighed, squeezing Victoire tightly.

Teddy's right hand slipped into Victoire's left and the pair started leisurely walking down the path towards the beach.

As they walked, Victoire told him that she had finally decided on a career track and, after consulting with Professor Slughorn, who assured her that her grades in Potions were excellent, decided that she wanted to be a Healer.

Teddy rushed to hug her and offer her congratulations, saying that he would support her all the way. But suddenly, a small thought flashed through his brain and before he could think about it, he blurted out, "Isn't Healer training insane? Like having no life for the first year or two, at least?"

Victoire blinked in surprise.

"Yeah, I've heard it can be tough. But Slughorn referred me to a few Healers-in-training from your year and I've written them a few letters asking how they've been managing. One has already gotten back to me, and he said that you get used to the demanding schedule."

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" Teddy asked.

Victoire hesitated for a moment. "I wanted to get some opinions from the current class of healers before deciding whether or not this is something I wanted to do, and I didn't want to tell you until I was sure of my decision."

"What about us though?" Teddy frowned. "I was hoping that after you graduated in a year, we would finally be able to be more stable."

"Are you saying that you don't think I can manage my time between my career and my relationship?"

"I'm not saying that-"

"Then what are you saying?" Victoire said, putting her hands on her hips.

"It's just that being a Healer is really demanding. Especially during training."

Victoire shook her head. "Teddy… I thought you'd be more supportive."

"I am! I'm sorry," Teddy replied. "It's just my insecurities talking, I shouldn't have said anything."

"Okay," Victoire said awkwardly.

For a while, the two of them stood in silence for a moment.

"Come on, let's find a place to sit and watch the sunset," Victoire said, grabbing Teddy's hand and leading them away.

Victoire led Teddy through the meadow behind her house near the cliffs and motioned for him to sit.

"I've been thinking," Victoire started slowly. " I have thought about how the demanding Healer training schedule would affect…us," she gestured between the two of them.

She sighed. "For a moment, I even considered choosing a different career path because I didn't want to risk what we have. But I had a long heart-to-heart with Stacy, and I realized that I can't sacrifice my career for a boy, even if that boy means the world to me," Victoire looked at him and smiled.

"That's why I was so eager to shoot off letters to those Healer trainees, because I wanted to get their opinions on things. One guy who responded said that it was a struggle at first, but he and his girlfriend figured out a rhythm that works for them. And although the hours are unpredictable, the fact that they are still able to see each other at least once every day helps a lot."

Victoire looked towards the ocean. "It puts things into perspective a bit. Seeing each other once a day is better than what we have now, what with me off at Hogwarts and all."

Teddy nodded in agreement.

"Stacy told me that since we've been able to stay together this whole year while apart, figuring out how to work around the training schedule will be like a walk in the park in comparison," Victoire continued.

"We still have another full year apart until you graduate though," Teddy said dejectedly.

Victoire winced.

"I'll be of age soon, and next year I'll be able to go to Hogsmeade any weekend I want. We'd see each other more than we do now. The way I see it, the universe is making things easier for us as time goes on," Victoire said. Teddy nodded in agreement.

Victoire paused for a moment and fiddled with her fingers nervously.

"Teddy, I have a question for you," Victoire finally said. "Just before break, Professor Pottinger, you know, our Muggle Studies professor … he was excitedly telling the class that one of his former students was accepted to spend a year in San Francisco studying how to make muggle electronics work within magical environments. Said it would be groundbreaking research."

Teddy felt his heart skip a beat.

"Was he talking about…you? No one else in your class, at least that I know about, is that interested in muggle stuff."

Teddy nodded slowly, staring at Victoire and trying to gauge her reaction. "I'm not planning on going, though," he said.

"Why not, Teddy? Pottinger said that the process was competitive and that they sought applications months ago. You must have put a lot of preparation into this."

"But it would mean being away from you for a year. I'd be leaving in May, before your birthday!"

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier so that we could talk about it?" Victoire said. "You got angry at me earlier for not telling you about my decision to become a Healer. But this … this you'd have had to be hiding from me for months!"

Teddy paused. She was right, after all.

"I just wanted to see how the process played out. I didn't think I would get it, and even if I did, I wasn't planning on going."

"This is the problem with you Teddy," Victoire exclaimed. "Why would you go through all that effort for something you didn't want to do? You obviously want to go on this program-"

"But I want to be with you more," Teddy countered.

"I'm not like you, Teddy," Victoire replied, her voice rising. "I know you don't like being left behind because of what happened with your parents, but you don't have to worry about that with me. It's like how I realized that I can't choose some boy over my career. I don't want you to choose some girl over your career."

"You're not just 'some girl'," Teddy said.

"No, I'm not. I'm your best friend," Victoire said quietly. Teddy exhaled loudly. "And as your best friend, I'm telling you that you need to take this opportunity."

Teddy shook his head vehemently. "But our relationship, when we're apart, everything just feels wrong. When we're together, things seem to fall in place but when we're apart, it's like one misunderstanding after another. I feel like back when we were just best friends, we were always on the same wavelength."

"Things are different now," Victoire said wistfully, staring out into the ocean. The sun was starting to set and it cast out a beautiful orange glow. "Our expectations for each other have changed."

Teddy was silent so Victoire continued. "Remember back when you and I would dare each other to see how close to the edge of the cliff we would go?"

Teddy laughed. "Yeah, thinking back on it now, that was kinda dangerous wasn't it?"

Victoire nodded in agreement.

"We didn't have a care in the world back then. I miss those days," she sighed.

Teddy looked at her with questioning eyes.

"I don't like this feeling," Victoire continued. "Always worrying about what you think of me, stressing out about stupid little perceived slights, wondering if I'm saying or doing something wrong when I'm around you. Maybe it's just me and I'm overthinking things, but-"

"It's not just you," Teddy said reassuringly. "We just need to communicate more, be more open-minded, and try to think about things from the other's perspective…"

"You don't think we're not already doing that?" Victoire asked. "We obviously both care about each other so much, and over the past year, both of us have spent so much energy trying to make things work," Victoire blinked back tears.

"I'm always trying to think of things from your perspective, I try to communicate more but these bloody letters are so slow… And I know that you're doing the same thing, Teddy. But it just isn't working out, not like it did when we were just best friends."

Teddy inhaled deeply. He didn't like where things were going.

"I really don't need to go to California," Teddy said. "If I stay here with you-"

"If you stay here, then what?" Victoire almost yelled. "We would still be apart - I still have a year left at Hogwarts - and we would just go back to our cycle of being confused and always misunderstanding each other. This opportunity in California comes around once-in-a-lifetime, Teddy. Don't throw it away."

"Why are you trying to push me away," Teddy asked, his voice rising. "Can't you see that I'm trying to help us?"

Victoire shook her head sadly. "You're throwing away something that you'll regret for the rest of your life, and I'm afraid that I'm going to have to carry the guilt."

"That's not true-"

"It is, Teddy," Victoire insisted. Despite our problems lately, I know you Teddy almost as well as I know the back of my hand. You really want to go to San Francisco and study this muggle-magic compatibility research."

It's true, Teddy really did want to study it. But, "not at the expense of us, Twa." Teddy said.

Victoire exhaled loudly and closed her eyes.

"Let's say you don't go and stay here with me," Victoire finally said. "What if we have a miserable year and still can't figure out our problems when we're apart? Then, in a year I'll start Healer training, unpredictable schedule and all. What if you start resenting me for making you lose out on the San Francisco opportunity?"

"I would never-"

"It'll be all my fault then," Victoire continued. "My fault for keeping you here even though I would be away at Hogwarts for most of the year. Then my fault again for being stuck at St. Mungo's training to be a Healer for most of the day and night."

"You're thinking of the worst-case scenario-"

"I'm thinking about our future, Teddy. Could our relationship survive such a future? If we cut things off now, we could still go back to being friends…"

Those words sent a sharp pang through Teddy's heart. Was she seriously considering…

"If we were just friends," Victoire whispered, "you could go off to San Francisco and come back on the holidays and tell me about your adventures. I could become a healer and we could have a laugh over the patient I had who accidentally hexed himself in the-"

"Is that really what you want?" Teddy interrupted.

"I don't want to lose you," Victoire said with conviction. "As friends, it wouldn't matter if we didn't see each other for months, we would easily fall back into our old ways the next time we saw each other. We wouldn't be constantly trying to dissect the hidden meanings in each other's letters, we would just enjoy reading or listening to what the other had to say."

"But I care about you as more than just a friend," Teddy breathed.

"But it's better than losing you completely. We're still trying to figure out our lives. By trying to force this relationship, we're only holding each other back."

"Is that what you think of me? Holding you back?" Teddy said angrily.

"No," Victoire said sadly. "It's me that's holding you back. You're already out in the world trying to do great things, and here I am, an underage witch, still in Hogwarts. The fact that you're considering forgoing such an amazing opportunity just for me…while I appreciate the sentiment, Teddy, I can't accept that."

Teddy sighed. "I don't want to break up with you."

"Maybe I am overthinking things," Victoire said. "But I don't think I am. If I hold you back from going to San Francisco, you're going to regret it. And in a year, if my Healer training further interferes with us, our relationship is going to be characterized by guilt, resentment, and regret."

"You don't know that-" Teddy began.

"And then," Victoire continued without pausing. "At that point, it might be too late to go back to being friends. If we break up now, we have a year apart to think things through, and maybe we can restart our friendship when you get back."

"Maybe we should go back to the house, make a cup of tea and think things through a bit more."

"I've been thinking about this for a while," Victoire finally sighed. "This isn't something that I'm making a spur of the moment decision about."

Victoire put a hand on Teddy's shoulder. "I'm not abandoning you Teddy. We're still friends," she said, closing her eyes. "We can still be best friends," she repeated, as if trying to reassure herself.

Teddy stared at her face in silence, not knowing what to say.

"I'm sorry, Teddy," Victoire finally said, opening her eyes. "Let's break up." She gave Teddy a sad smile and rubbed his arm where she left her hand earlier, before turning around and returning to her house.

Teddy remained on the meadow until the sun disappeared below the horizon behind him, not believing what had just happened and trying to process it all.

Victoire was his best friend, his first serious girlfriend, and he couldn't believe that she would break up with him over something that to him sounded so trivial. He was confident that they would've made it work, but at the same time, he couldn't shake the nagging thought at the back of his head that Victoire was right about one thing.

He really did want to go to San Francisco. What they were studying there was revolutionary and Teddy wanted to be part of it. His relationship with Victoire and the communication struggles they'd had made it all the more clear to him how important it was that wizards gain access to some muggle technology.

He had been prepared to make a huge sacrifice to stay here with Victoire, but it seems that Victoire had made the decision for him already.


"You're really nimble with your fingers," Sienna said as she watched Teddy tie strings around the base of balloons. The two of them were in the faculty building, setting up decorations for the going away party.

There were officially five students who were going to be studying abroad in San Francisco for the next year, including Teddy and Sienna, and Watson had thought of throwing a small party in his classroom to celebrate.

Technically, though, Teddy was actually going to California to study how to design muggle technology to work in magical environments. But Watson had told the other students that he was going to be on a modified track and would be spending part of his time interning with government regulators to get a different perspective of the design process.

"Thanks," Teddy said, accepting Sienna's complement as he easily tied a knot and moved on to the next balloon. "I used to have a lot of practice at the orphanage. Victoire and I would help the younger girls tie their hair."

Sienna looked down at her feet. "How are you and Victoire doing nowadays?"

"We're okay I suppose," Teddy responded. "We don't talk much since she's still in school and I'm, well, here."

"That didn't stop the two of you from writing letters all semester last year," Sienna pointed out.

"Yeah, well things have changed," Teddy shrugged, staring intently at the balloon in his hand.

"Could you do me a favor?" Sienna suddenly asked. "Since you and Victoire aren't…" she paused, looking up at the ceiling without finishing her thought, before continuing, "could you maybe-" she suddenly hesitated. Teddy looked up and caught Sienna's eyes, but she quickly darted her eyes back towards the ceiling.

"Maybe you could stop talking about her in front of me?" Sienna finished.

"Why? It's hard to avoid talking about her when I talk about my past since she's in so many of my stories."

"That's just it," Sienna sighed before looking at him.

"I like you, Ted. Like, really like you," she said.

"I've fancied you for months, but you were with Victoire so I didn't say anything, I didn't make a move. But then the two of you broke up, and I thought maybe now I had a chance, but you still talk about her all the time. When you talk about her, it makes me feel like I can't even compare with a girl who is no longer in your life. But I can't help that I fancy you."

Teddy wasn't surprised to hear what Sienna had to say, he had always had a feeling. Sienna had, in the past few months of helping him navigate the Muggle world, become one of Teddy's closest friends. But sometimes he felt that Sienna was a bit too nice, or a bit too helpful, and wondered if maybe Sienna had feelings for him. Now he knew.

She paused for a moment before continuing, "you don't have to give me an answer immediately."

Sienna was a very pretty girl and Teddy got along with her quite well. By all accounts, he and Sienna were a great match and he should take the chance now that the opportunity presented itself. But he couldn't bring himself to say yes, not now, so soon after he had just broken up with Victoire.

Sienna suddenly changed the subject and smiled brightly at Teddy, "come on, these banners aren't going to hang themselves!"

That night after the party, Teddy made his way to the woodshop to finish up his latest project. It was late in the evening and the workshop was completely empty. Teddy reached into his cubby and pulled out a small, wooden jewelry box that he was planning on giving to Victoire for her birthday.

Teddy was taking a woodworking class this term as part of his design degree, and had given Victoire many of his assignments over the course of the past few months, such as the swan. She clearly liked his handmade gifts more than anything he could buy in a shop, so he had the idea to design and make something nice for Victoire for her birthday.

That was all before the two of them had broken up, but that didn't mean he had to abandon his plans.

Teddy squinted as he picked up a carefully cut piece of felt and stuck it along the inside of the box. He smoothed it out and stopped to admire his work. The box was about the size of his closed fist, although it had several small compartments inside and closed with a simple latch. He had made some basic carvings on the outside to give the box some flavor, but otherwise it wasn't too flashy, which was exactly how Victoire liked her things.

He pulled open a drawer and pulled out a few woodworking stamps. The stamps had the numbers five, two, and zero on them.

It was a random piece of trivia that he had found one evening while surfing the internet for nothing in particular. Victoire wouldn't be able to figure out what it meant - she didn't have access to the internet - so it would just be his little secret message.

So Teddy picked up the hammer, and before he could have second thoughts, hammered "520" on the bottom of the box.

Teddy gave the box to Victoire the evening before he was set to fly to San Francisco. Her birthday was still a few days away, but Teddy wouldn't be around for it.

She smiled and gave Teddy a quick hug, assuring him that the box was lovely and that she already knew what she was going to store in it. She also surprised Teddy with a gift of her own - a new pair of walking shoes, so that he could chuck his old, worn-out pair and properly explore the city without sore feet.

Teddy felt a rush of emotion over the thoughtful gift. Objectively, it was just a pair of shoes, but to Teddy, the thought that went behind the pair of shoes made it the most important pair of shoes in the world to him.

"I can't make it to the airport tomorrow to see you off," Victoire said, vaguely adding that she had plans that she couldn't change. "So this will have to serve as our goodbyes."

"Goodbye then, Twa. I'll see you … for Christmas?"

Victoire nodded. "See you then. Bye Teddy."

She paused for a moment before adding, "that pink hair…it doesn't suit you," she said sadly. "But I'll miss you too."

Teddy lengthened his bangs to eye level and saw that it had indeed changed into a bright pink color. It had been years since his hair changed colors involuntarily.


Teddy felt a lump in his throat as he stared out the giant, gleaming windows at the airport terminal the next day and saw the airplanes flying into the sky. He'd seen them before, you couldn't live anywhere on this planet and not see them, but he'd never flown in one before.

The plane tickets were part of his study abroad fees, and it would be suspicious if he'd somehow magically shown up in San Francisco after missing his flight. Besides, if he was going to spend these three years experiencing the muggle life, he was going to experience it to the fullest.

A small farewell committee had gathered at the airport to wish Teddy luck. Tom and Olivia were there, admonishing him to video call them often and to make sure he didn't adopt the American accent while he was there.

Harry and Ginny had swung by and given him a little present - a small boxy and hollow contraption that they claimed would heat up any leftover or frozen food he put in and make it taste better in the process. "There's some magic in this," Harry whispered in his ear, "so it's not like a normal Muggle microwave." Harry had ruffled his hair and told him that he had no excuse not to eat well now that he had this.

"I can't fit this in my bag," Teddy had laughed, seeing the gift. But Harry assured him that it would fit, just to make sure to try putting it in after he was through security, and to perhaps try doing it somewhere private.

His Grandma had also come, and was in the process of giving Teddy the tightest hug he had ever received. When he actually started feeling like he couldn't breathe, he put a hand on his grandma and lightly pushed her away. "I can't breathe," he managed to choke out.

"Sorry," Andromeda said, tears in her eyes. "You've never been so far away before and I can't handle portkeys at this age." Teddy's eyes glanced over at Tom and Olivia but they didn't seem to have heard.

"I know this is something that you've been wanting to do for a while - to experience the muggle world - and I'm so proud of you for chasing your dreams."

"Thanks grandma," Teddy smiled.

"Now go," Andromeda said, shooing him away with one hand. "You don't want to miss your flight!"

Teddy gave everyone a hug then turned and walked towards the security checkpoint with his luggage in hand. He glanced back and saw Tom, Olivia, Harry, Ginny, and his grandma still waving at him. But out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a flash of strawberry blonde hair disappearing behind a pillar. He rubbed his eyes and turned back towards the security checkpoint, shaking his head and trying to get thoughts of Victoire out of his mind.