Dominique stared into the punch bowl. On all sides, Grandma Weasley and her various helpers bustled around the crowded kitchen, preparing a massive supper. It was a Weasley tradition for the entire extended family to gather at The Burrow on Christmas Eve for a celebratory dinner of goose and the famous (or infamous, depending on who you ask) family pudding.

But she didn't feel much like celebrating. She had successfully avoided clearing out her desk at The Prophet for the last two days — still too afraid to fully face the reality that she had lost her job. But her heart ached at the fact that the one thing she'd been working towards, her dream, had fallen apart. And she couldn't even begin trying to grapple with all that had happened between her and Lysander.

Dom filled her punch glass and wandered into the family room where the younger children gathered, some engrossed in Wizard's chess, others wrestling on the floor near the fireplace. "What's that, your third glass?" Louis asked from the doorway, nodding to her hand. "And Vicky isn't even here yet. What gives?"

Her eyes darted from the kids to her brother. The hum of their parents' conversation drifted in from the kitchen. "Come here." She grabbed his arm and dragged him out to the front porch, cluttered with rocking chairs and an enormous porch swing. But Dom didn't sit. "I've been fired."

She hadn't told a soul. When Lou's jaw dropped open, the whole debacle suddenly felt entirely too real.

"Dom," he breathed. "You have?"

Dominique nodded as tears threatened. But she pasted on a brave face and held up her glass. "So you see?" She tossed back the punch. "This is much needed. But it's not nearly strong enough."

He grimaced at her. "I'm so sorry. Was it because of The Quibbler story?"

"It was a lot of things. I got in way over my head." Dom looked out over his shoulder at the wide expanse of lawn in front of The Burrow, the twinkling stars and half moon. "Should never have thought it was a real possibility."

Louis shook his head. "I'm not buying that for a second. You turned up the story in the first place and did most of the reporting! I'm positive there's something to this whole disappearance. Men like Bomsnox don't just vanish without a trace."

The many late nights and early mornings rushed back to her, the hours spent leaning over Lysander's desk, leafing through papers, sitting at the table in her flat and making him tea, tracing every detail they could find, eavesdropping on Pennysworth, writing their stories until the wee hours of the morning. Discovering the man behind the impervious mask he always wore. And now all of that was gone. "It's over, Lou."

He looked at her, eyes serious. "Take a few days. Think about it." Louis's face lit up with a quick smile. "Get totally smashed tonight if you must. But I won't let you give up forever. And neither will Lysander, I'd bet."

Hearing his name aloud felt like a punch to the gut. She let out a harsh laugh. "Oh, he won't mind. Trust me."

There was a loud crack from the lawn as two figures Apparated into view. Teddy strode purposefully toward them, his lanky figure clothed in a pair of jeans and a baggy flannel shirt. As messy as always.

Victoire walked beside him, her steps much more hesitant, her curvy figure accentuated by a powder-blue shift dress. As beautiful as ever.

"Dom, Lou! Happy Christmas!" Teddy's voice boomed as he climbed the stairs to the porch and threw an arm around Louis's shoulders. His eyes lighted on Dom, her empty punch glass in hand, dark-green v-neck dress making her strawberry-blond hair stand out even more than usual. "You look lovely, Dom," he added in a quieter tone, pulling her into a tight hug.

A loud sniff came from behind them. "Hey Louis, Dominique," Victoire said softly, nodding at them.

As usual, Louis had no patience for his oldest sister's distant airs. He strode towards her and wrapped her in a bear hug. "Welcome home, Vicky."

She relaxed into his arms for just a moment before pulling back and eyeing Dominique, who stood on the porch without saying a word, letting Teddy keep his arm around her shoulders. "How're things here?" Victoire asked after a moment. "Is Mum expecting us?"

Dom still didn't reply, so Louis took the bait. "She'll be thrilled."

Teddy gaped at his girlfriend, withdrawing his arm from around Dominique. "You didn't tell your mother we were coming to Christmas Eve dinner?"

Victoire gave a little shrug and pulled her white coat tighter around her shoulders. "I figured it'd be easier for everyone this way. Didn't want to cause a fuss"

"Really, Ted, it's not a big deal," Louis tried again. Dom just watched them all, not caring enough to speak up.

Teddy rolled his eyes exaggeratedly. "I don't understand why you insist on perpetuating this kind of drama!" he exclaimed to his girlfriend. "Dominique shows up for her family, not causing any trouble at all. The least you could've done was tell your own parents we'd bother to show up for the holidays."

Dom watched as her older sister stuck out her full lower lip and tossed her sleek blond hair. It had never failed to get her what she wanted. "I don't need your lectures, Teddy. Lou says it'll be fine. Let's go inside." Without waiting for him to respond, Victoire pushed past them and into the house.

Louis followed close behind her, widening his eyes at Dominique as if to say, 'This should be good.'

Teddy pushed a hand through his hair and exhaled. "Sorry. Things have been tense lately. I've been trying to get her to visit your parents more often but…well, you know how she is."

Dominique shrugged. "I need punch."

He chuckled at that. "As do I." Teddy threw his arm back around her shoulders and tugged her into the house. "I think we all will after this."


Her vision was getting just a bit blurry by the time dinner ended. Not only had she helped Louis and Teddy drain the entire punch bowl, but she'd gotten her hands on a flask of Firewhiskey from her cousin James, who had led a few rounds of his usual pre-dinner drinking games in an upstairs bedroom for the older cousins.

The whiskey made her think of Lysander, and that, of course, made her want to drink even more.

When Uncle Charlie suggested after-dinner bourbon, Dominique almost retched. She helped clear the table, feeling unsteady on her feet, and ducked out onto the porch. After a tense evening of trying to avoid Victoire and forget about everything with the Prophet and Lysander, her head felt like it was about to burst.

Dominique wandered out into the front yard and stared up at the vast expanse of sky, swaying a little before collapsing onto the earth and resting her head in her hands. There, that felt better. The ground didn't seem to be spinning beneath her quite as much anymore.

"Dom?" came a voice from the porch. Seconds later, Teddy was beside her. "What're you doing?"

"Gettin' some air," she mumbled up at him, trying to focus on the stars behind his head instead of his almond-shaped gray eyes.

"I can see that," he replied, taking a seat beside her. The lawn was dark, and she shivered, not objecting when he draped his jacket around her. "So why'd you singlehandedly drink half the punch bowl tonight?"

She gave him a sideways glance, still feeling a little dizzy as she sat up all the way. "I've lost my job, Ted. It's over. Done. Finished. Caput."

He just blinked at her. "But you were doing so well!" he exclaimed. "You've been fired?"

"Don't wanna talk about it," she grumbled, cutting him off. "I've never done anything, never won anything. Always mess it all up."

In a moment, his arm came up to wrap around her shoulders. "We don't have to talk about it, Dom. But you and I both know that's not true."

Dominique relaxed into his shoulder and shut her eyes tight, trying to ignore the churning in her stomach.

"It's all going to work out okay in the end, I promise," Teddy told her, sitting beside her on a bench out by the Great Lake. He tugged on the end of Dominique's braid and slid his arm around her shoulders.

She tensed up for a moment before letting herself lean against his side. It wasn't how she had envisioned this happening, but something just felt right. "He's already broken up with me and then come back before," Dominique told him with a sniffle. "Maybe he will again."

"Dom, you're way too good for Erik MacMillan. I don't care if he's the Slytherin Quidditch captain and it makes your parents and sister good and mad to see you dating him."

He was on to her. Dominique shrugged a little. "He makes me feel like I matter."

Teddy's strong hand squeezed her upper arm and tugged her closer into his embrace. "'Course you matter. You don't need some bloke to tell you that."

'But I do,' Dom thought to herself. 'I need you to tell me.'

She tried to force herself to be in this moment with him here, by the lake, watching the sun sink down in the sky as she dried the last of her tears over her on-again off-again mess of a boyfriend. But all she could think about was how, when they made it back to the castle, Teddy would drift back to Victoire — snogging in the cupboards and in the halls and in the Great Hall — and she'd be his kid sister once again.

Dominique pulled back, shaking his arm loose from around her shoulders, and gazed up into his eyes, waiting for him to look down at her. "I mess it up whenever it matters," she breathed. "You know I do."

He shrugged. "This is just a setback. I've seen you conquer one thing after another your whole life. You can do anything, Dom. Have any dream you want."

She tore her eyes away from him for a moment and stared up at the half moon, letting out a sharp laugh. "No. I could never have you."

Teddy stared down at her, his gaze tracing her lips for a mere second.

And then she was kissing him, pressing herself up and meeting his waiting lips, so soft, so ready. To her complete surprise, he kissed her back. Teddy's lips moved against hers with such force, his tongue slipping into her mouth, one hand on her back, the other coming up to hold her against him.

Dominique pushed closer, trying to inhale the fullness of him, soak in this moment, but she was dizzy and couldn't believe it was actually happening. Teddy, here, in her arms, kissing her. After all these years.

And yet somehow it felt empty.

"You bitch!" came a shriek from behind them. Victoire tore across the lawn, landing on the ground with a thud and shoving Dominique away from Teddy. "How dare you!"

Teddy scrambled to his feet. "Vic, hold on." He tried in vain to grasp her arms, but she struck out at him blindly, trying to get past him to Dominique, who still sat on the ground, frozen in terror at what she had done.

Victoire ripped herself from her boyfriend's grip and dove on top of her sister, clawing at Dom and shoving her back onto the ground. But Teddy was there again, pulling Victore off, wrapping his arms around her.

"Calm down, Victoire. Calm down," he intoned, trying desperately to hold her still. "It was all just a mistake."

A mistake. She was always making mistakes. She was always a mistake. Tears slid down Dominique's nose as she struggled to stand. "I'm sorry, Vic," she whispered raggedly.

"I never want to see you again!" Victoire screamed, lunging again. "How dare you?!"

Dominique met Teddy's gaze, feeling helpless. His eyes were empty, hollow, just like Lysander's had been the last time they spoke.

Lysander. Feeling sick to her stomach, Dom croaked again, "I'm sorry, Vic. It meant nothing." And she Apparated into the night.