"Damnit!" Ted shouted as he sunk into the missing step on the third-floor corridor. Normally he wouldn't have shouted his frustrations to the whole world, but that was the third time he'd fallen in this week. That wasn't counting the two times he'd smacked into a moving coat-of-arms this month and the five times he'd been late to class because he'd forgotten staircases moved. He hadn't had this much trouble navigating Hogwarts since his first year.
There was a reason for this of course, but he was trying not to think about that. Because every time he did he had the urge to rip up whatever he was holding—usually his homework—or hit the thing closest to him—usually the coat-of-arms, which sometimes hit back.
"Need a hand?"
If it had been anyone else, he would have told them, in no uncertain terms, to buzz off. But it was Teresa, and he was pretty sure being rude to her was one of the seven deadly sins.
"If you're not too busy," he grunted, making her smile. Between the two of them, they were finally able to free Ted's leg.
"Thanks," he muttered, before flashing her a quick smile. Then he turned to leave.
"Hey Ted," she said behind him. "Are you alright?"
He froze. He thought he'd done a good job of hiding his inner turmoil, but apparently not. Still, he wasn't in the mood to talk about it. "Course I am."
"It's just." She paused again, considering her words. "You've seemed a little down, recently."
He could have laughed. If only she knew. "I'm fine."
"You know you can talk to me, right?" She stepped closer to him, her yes bright with worry. "About anything."
He swallowed the lump that rose in his throat, then replied. "I know."
She still didn't look convinced, but she wasn't the type to push. So instead she smiled and asked, "How was your break?"
The automatic, "Fine," was on the tip of tongue, but Teresa's concerned look froze it to his lips. The next thing he knew he was saying, "Pretty crappy actually."
She didn't say anything. She stood there, ready to listen. He sighed.
"My dad's always struggled, with me being a wizard or what not, but recently it seems like it's gotten worse." He couldn't believe he was saying these things. He'd never told this to anyone, not even Jake, but now that the words were flowing they wouldn't stop. Teresa was silent the whole time, just listening. "The news is full of all these reports, people going missing and whatnot. Most muggles think the gangs are just running amok, but my dad thinks its "our kind" and he's probably right. And he just… seems to think we're all like that."
Teresa was silent for a moment, then she asked, "And your Mum?"
He shrugged. "She stands up for me. For us. And he doesn't like that very much." There was more he could say about that, but he'd already said more than he was comfortable with, so he stayed silent. His silence probably said more than words could anyway.
Teresa was silent for a long moment again, then finally, "I'm sorry. If it's any consolation, my parents are worried too. They've even considered pulling me out of school for my own safety."
"Are you serious?" Ted whirled on her, completely forgetting his own struggles for a moment. "What are going to do?"
"I'm not leaving, I know that for sure." She swallowed, then glanced up at him. "This is our home too, we should fight for it."
He stared at her for a moment. "Sounds like a good plan." They didn't really talk like that, the muggleborns, but based on what he'd seen a fight was coming. And they needed to be ready.
"I wish there was something we could do for you though," Teresa said bracingly, pulling them back to the problem at hand. She reached out and placed her hand on top of his. He glanced at it, but didn't say anything, so she kept her hand there.
He glanced at her, and smiled softly. "I could introduce him to you. That might change his mind."
Teresa's eyes widened, and then she blushed. "Ted, I—"
"Well, isn't this cozy," came a cool voice from behind them. The problem was, Ted recognized that voice, and it wasn't someone he wanted within a 100 feet of himself or Teresa. The two of them sprang apart, even though they hadn't been doing anything wrong.
"Sorry, we didn't see you," Teresa apologized, even though they had nothing to apologize for, but Rodolphus had that effect on people.
"Don't let me interrupt." He stepped forward, and Ted had to remind himself not to step back. It looked like it was just Rodolphus, meaning if it came to a fight he and Teresa take him, hopefully.
"I believe you were having a fascinating conversation about how muggles view "our kind,'" Rodolphus continued. "Your father sounds like quite the enlightened man."
"Don't talk about my father," Ted practically snarled, his hand curling around his wand in his pocket.
"That wasn't an insult," Rodolphus' gaze flicked to Ted's fist in his pocket, and he smirked. His stance remained cool and relaxed, however. "He has good reason to be afraid. They all do."
His eyes darkened, making sure neither Ted nor Teresa missed his implied threat.
Ted's hand tightened around his wand, something both Roldophus and Teresa noticed. Before Rodolphus could react, Teresa reached out and grabbed his wand arm. "Ted, let's leave."
"Your name is Teresa, is it not?" Rodolphus said, turning his attention to her. Teresa's eyes widened at his shift in focus, but she was too polite to ignore him, so she nodded.
"You know, it's funny." Rodolphus said, returning to his casual stance. "I heard a rumor you always spend your Friday lunches in the greenhouses."
Ted stiffened, knowing exactly where this conversation was going, but Teresa's look of confusion only deepened.
"That's true."
"How fortunate that you weren't there during the Boutruber incident." He said it so casually it almost sounded genuine, but that only made the sick feeling in Ted's stomach grow.
"I know." Teresa laughed shakily. Only she could laugh in a conversation with Rodolphus Lestrange, then she glanced at Ted. "I guess I technically have you to thank for that."
Ted wished he could wipe those words from existence, but it was too late. Based on the way Rodolphus' eyes flashed, he knew exactly what that meant.
"How lucky of you to have him looking out for you." He chose that moment to glance Ted. Ted swallowed the bile that rose in his throat and tried to keep his face expressionless, but based on the glint in Rodolphus' eyes, he failed in that regard.
Teresa glanced between the two of them, too late realizing there was something else going on.
"Yes, well, we really must be going." She grabbed Ted's arm and pulled him away, but not before giving Rodolphus a tiny curtsy. "Good day." Her manners would never fail her.
"What was that about?" she asked when they were finally out of earshot.
"Nothing," Ted said quickly, before glancing at her and attempting a smirk. "I think he's just mad they all got Bouturbed and you made it out unscathed."
"I wonder what they were doing there in the first place." Teresa mused out loud. "7th years don't have Herbology on Fridays."
"Who knows why those people do anything," he tried to sound as flippant as possible, hoping she'd get bored and drop it before she asked questions he didn't know how to answer. Thankfully, she did.
"Ted, I—" she glanced down at her hands, suddenly becoming awkward. It was a weird look for her. "I actually been wanting to ask you; do you have any plans for Valentine's day?"
"I, umm..." He felt himself blush a little. When he'd been hoping for a change in conversation he hadn't thought it be anything like this. "Actually, I wasn't really planning on doing anything."
He didn't think he said that harshly, but she flinched anyway. He wished he could tell her his lack of interest in Valentine's had nothing to do with her, but he couldn't. Considering how crushed she looked though, he really wished he could have.
"Right well, thanks for umm… thanks for talking with me. About, you know…" she managed to give him another smile, but it looked forced. He couldn't help but stare at her, it was like staring at mirror at his past. That was exactly how he'd looked when he tried to make a move on Andromeda and it had gone completely sideways.
Teresa didn't say anything else as she walked away. Her shoulders were a little slumped. She'd probably been planning this moment for a while, and now that it was over she wasn't sure what she was supposed to do next. That was exactly how he had felt.
He thought back to their conversation, before Rodolphus had come along and ruined it. He'd felt good, at peace even, for the first time in a long time. And he had Teresa to thank for that.
"Teresa?" He shouted after her. She whirled around. He recognized that look too, the involuntary glimmer of hope she was trying to control in case it was squashed, again.
But that wasn't why Ted had called out to her. "Meet me in the entrance hall? 5:00?"
It took her minute to register what he had said, and then her lips spread into a broad smile. "I'll be there."