The Houses Competition
House: Hufflepuff
Class: Muggle Studies
Prompt: (word) smile
Category: Standard
Word Count: 2,146
Warning for extreme fluff. I would like to take this time to thank everyone who beta read this story for me. It truly means a lot that you were willing to help me out like this. So, thank you very much!
I was trying to solve one of the Arithmancy problems from my summer work packet when I felt someone place their hands over my eyes.
"Teddy, if this is your way of getting my attention, it's very annoying," I said, hearing him chuckle.
"Vic, we've been dating for how long now?" he asked, taking his hands off my eyes and fiddling with something in his pocket.
"Since my last year of Hogwarts," I tell him, wondering what he is getting at.
I was about to ask when the strangest thing happened. A dark silk something was placed over my eyes. It was so dark that I couldn't see anything, but the dark silk and that wasn't good enough.
"Teddy, what are you doing?" I asked, trying to figure out where he was. I wanted to at least look like I was talking to him and not away from him. "This isn't funny. What's going on?"
"I've got something very special planned for us today," Teddy said, a smile clear in his voice as he spoke. "But it's got to stay a secret. So, I'm afraid that there will be no peeking."
"But how am I supposed to move without being able to see?" I asked, hoping I didn't sound as anxious as I knew I did. "I don't want to fall down some steps because I can't see how far my foot is from landing on them."
"Don't worry," Teddy said, trying to sound reassuring, but failing miserably, "Steps won't be included in this little trip until we get where we're going."
"But where are we going?" I asked, feeling more anxious as we went forward. "How do I know it's not dangerous?"
"You could trust me."
"I do. But…"
"But nothing, Vic," he said, playing with the ends of my blonde pigtails. "This is going to be an adventure. Don't you like our adventures?"
Our adventures usually turned out to be very dangerous. The last one we'd gone on had almost gotten us eaten by a rather nasty hippogriff during my third year of Hogwarts. It was lucky that Professor Longbottom had come along when he had or I wouldn't want to think what might have happened to them.
"You're thinking about that time with the hippogriff, aren't you?" Teddy asked, laughing heartily at our school year antics. "That was only one time, Vic. You can't judge all of our adventures based purely on that one time."
"I sure can," I said, folding my arms over my chest as though that would end the discussion. I knew it wouldn't.
"Trust me, this one is going to be more fun than any of the other ones," Teddy said, sounding like he used to when we were younger. "And I can promise there won't be any hippogriffs where we're going."
"There had better not be," I said, taking a deep breath. I didn't like the idea of not knowing where I was going. It made me feel like something bad was bound to happen. "But at the first sign of trouble, we get out of there. Promise?"
"I promise," Teddy said, putting his hands on my arms and leading me out of my room. "First sign of trouble and we're gone. But I doubt there will be trouble."
He was taking us somewhere where we wouldn't be able to get into trouble. Now, this I would have to see with my own eyes. I could hear Teddy whispering something to my father and mother when they asked where we were going. This seemed to appease them and they allowed us to leave the house unbothered.
The crunch of the newly fallen leaves from the trees told me we were still in the front yard. I wondered if Teddy was reconsidering when he pulled me to a stop outside of the front gate. I tilted my head up in the direction I knew he would be.
"Why are we stopping?" I asked, confusion coloring my voice with panic. "There isn't any…."
"No," Teddy said, chuckling at my panic which made me elbow him in the stomach. "There isn't anything wrong. I just have one question to ask before we leave. Okay?"
I nodded. "What's that?" I raised my eyebrow even though he probably couldn't see it with whatever was covering my eyes.
"Do you trust me?" he asked, sounding sincere in his question.
Even though he'd gotten me into enough trouble throughout the years to warrant not trusting him, I couldn't help but trust Teddy Lupin entirely. He was, after all, one of the most loyal and trustworthy people I knew.
"I do," I said, smiling up at him. "But why did you need to know th…"
I was cut off mid-sentence when he apparated us out of my backyard. Now, don't get me wrong, I've side-along apparated before with my parents when I was younger. And every time it felt like the trip would take forever. The feeling of being squeezed as we traveled didn't help this feeling either. I have to admit for a witch I've never actually liked apparating which is why I didn't see the point in doing it very often.
"Have I ever told you that I hate apparating," I told Teddy, listening intently to our new surroundings. "It kind of makes me feel….I don't know. But it's not a very good feeling."
"I'm sorry, Vic," Teddy said, pulling out a chair from somewhere and helping me sit down in my blindfolded state. "I wouldn't have done that if I thought you wouldn't be okay with it."
"I know," I said, smiling as I finally pinpointed where we were. I could clearly hear Professor Longbottom and his wife having a conversation not too far from where we sat.
"You know what?" Teddy asked, cheekily the ever-present in his voice.
"I know two things. Which one do you want to know that I know?" I asked, smiling back at him and folding my arms over my chest.
"Can't you tell me both?" he asked and I know he must be grinning ear to ear now because it's clear in his voice.
"First, I know that you wouldn't do anything I wasn't alright with," I said, which was a thing that I knew from a young age. "But secondly and most importantly, I know where we are."
"Really?"
I nodded.
"But how did you know that?" he asked. I could tell by his voice he had tilted his head in that adorable fashion he has. "I didn't think that you could see."
"I knew where we were as soon as I heard Professor Longbottom and his wife talking over there," I said, pointing in the direction of the speaking couple. "We're at the Leaky Cauldron. Now can I take off this blindfold?"
"Nope," Teddy said, popping the p in the word. "This is only a stop point."
I let out a groan of annoyance. I was starting to hate this blindfold thing very much. I just wanted to be able to see where I was going. Was that too much to ask?
"Don't worry," Teddy said, putting his hand in my own and pulling me to my feet, "it's not that far away. The place I'm taking you. I think you're really going to like it."
I hoped that Teddy was right as I was pulled through the Leaky Cauldron to the exit. When the door opened, I heard the blaring of car horns and people talking. Teddy was taking me somewhere in Muggle London. I wondered where he was going to take me there. I didn't know of anything having to do with Muggle London.
"Wait right here," Teddy told me, his footsteps receding as he walked away from me.
This was just great. I was in Muggle London all by myself and Teddy had just walked off to Merlin knows where. What was I going to do now? I was about to pull my blindfold off when Teddy returned and started leading me again.
It felt like we'd been walking for hours when I heard Teddy whisper an Obliviate under his breath. I wondered what that was about for half a second.
"You may go ahead," the voice of a man said from beside us.
"Thank you," Teddy said, leading me forward. "Have a good day, sir."
"Teddy, are we there yet?" I asked, wishing now more than ever that I could see where I was. "I just want to take the blindfold off. Can I?"
"Not yet," Teddy said, leading me over to a seat and helping me sit down. He soon joined me and held my hand.
Soon after that the room, or wherever we were, started to move. I couldn't help but let out a little yelp of surprise and grip Teddy's hand tighter.
"Teddy," I cried out, fear coloring my voice.
"Don't worry," Teddy whispered, holding my hand. "We're almost there. Just a few more minutes and we can take that blindfold off. How does that sound?"
"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath and trying to calm my nerves as the feeling of the room swaying back and forth continued.
As what felt like hours ticked by and the room continued to sway around me, I could hear awed gasps and whispers around me. Was something going on? Was it bad or was it good? I wished I could see what was going on.
"You look like you've got big plans," said a voice from the opposite side of Teddy. "Is today a special day for you and your friend?"
"Hopefully," said Teddy, squeezing my hand gently.
Soon the swaying of the room we were in stopped. I was very happy about that fact. I was beginning to get a little worried about all the swaying that was going on. Then again that could be because I still had no idea where we actually were now. I could hear a whole bunch of people around us. But I had no clue. Not one.
"Let's get that blindfold off you," Teddy said, gently undoing the blindfold from my eyes.
I blinked as the bright light streamed into my eyes. For a second I couldn't see anything but the spot from the blindfold being removed. But as I slowly blinked them away, I could tell where we were right away. We were at that Muggle thing. The big Muggle wheel thing. I forgot what they called it.
"Are we on the…."
"London Eye," Teddy finished for me.
I nodded.
"We are," Teddy motioned for me to look out the window.
I turned in my seat and stared out the window at the beautiful fall day that was before me. I could see for miles in every direction and it was one of the most wonderful things I had ever encountered.
"It's so beautiful," I said, still staring out of the window of the carriage of the London Eye. "What can be more beautiful than this?"
"You," Teddy said, pulling my attention away from the window.
I gasped in surprise as I saw Teddy Lupin down on one knee in front of me. He was holding out a small black velvet box. Sitting in the middle of that box was one of the most beautiful rings that I had ever seen in my entire life.
"Victoire Gabrielle Weasley," he said, taking a hold of my hand and looking up at me, "I've been waiting for this moment since that day with those you-know-whats. You are my best friend and I can't imagine my life without you. So, I want to make it official. Right here and right now."
"Teddy, what are you…."
"Will you marry me?" he asked, looking up at me so sincerely that I could help but smile at him. I really did love him.
"Of course, I will," I said, allowing him to put the ring on my finger. This was turning out to be one of the best days of my life. But it was missing one thing. The cherry on top of this happiness sundae.
I leaned down and kissed him as passionately as I could. I could hear the carriage full of people cheering for us. Breaking the kiss I smiled at all the people around us who were applauding. That is when I noticed that my family was scattered throughout the crowd of people. They were all smiling and happy for us. This was how life was supposed to be.
As the day wore on we continued to ride the London Eye. This was now a very special place for Teddy and me. This was the place that he'd made me his for the rest of our lives. Or at least asked to make me his for the rest of our lives. And neither of us wanted to come down any time soon.
I hope you all enjoyed A Kiss in the Sky as much as I enjoyed writing it.
