Ted's POV

I don't remembered the exact moment that I woke up. It was more of a slow, growing awareness of the world around me. Light slipped through my eyelids as I took a peak at my surroundings. I was in the Hospital wing, alone in one of the many white beds that lined the wall. Each cot was empty; save for the one directly to my left, which had curtains drawn around it. I quickly shed the covers on top of me and walked up to the drapes surrounding my bed.

Knowing the harsh reality that was about to hit me, I braced myself for the worst as I pulled the curtain back. My mouth instantly dropped. I took a step back.

Last night before I had fallen asleep, Victoire looked terrible. Her whole body was red and inflamed as though she had been burned alive. But now, Victoire looked as good as new. Even her sheets had been changed and were no longer stained with maroon dots that had slid off of her skin and onto the cot. Someone, I suspected Madame Kinlan, had taken Vic out of her bloody pajamas and into a crisp white hospital gown.

Even her hair had been brushed and tucked underneath her head. If I didn't have last night's memory engraved in my mind, I would have almost believe nothing had ever happened. However, it was engraved in my mind, and I doubted it would go away anytime soon. How can it be possible for Victoire to look so peaceful after the night she went through? After all that blood that she lost? I'm sure Madame Kinlan knows a spell or two to help Vic, but to fix her completely in such a short time? Unless… wait, how long have I been asleep? I wondered.

"I did tell you that it would get worse before it got better," Professor Snape drawled from behind me. "Did I not, Mr. Lupin?"

I turned and looked at the legendary Half-Blood Prince, knowing that he had been right. Victoire was better.

"Professor, I-" I started, meaning to somehow show him my appreciation for what he did.

"Don't thank me yet, Lupin. Your friend may not be saved yet," Snape said almost remorsefully. "The potion I gave Ms. Weasley didn't cure her completely. It merely bought her some time. I've been researching all of the curses with symptoms similar to hers, but none include the mixture of dreams and memories. I managed to create a sedative using combined recipes of the cures for a curse of memory, and a curse of dreams. I had nothing to test this sedative on, but was fairly confident that it would do the trick, should the time come for it to be needed. When you knocked on my door last night I knew that time had come. Ms. Weasley's situation is precarious, more fragile than any I have ever seen before. That potion could have gone wrong. The ingredients were dangerous, and mixed to a high temperature and then consumed without time to settle . . . needless to say, I took a risk by it to giving Ms. Weasley." Seeing my alarmed expression, Snape reassured me that Vic was fine. "My instincts were correct, and the potion worked. This time."

"And by 'this time', you mean to tell me that it will only work this once?" I asked.

"Unfortunately it did not permanently cure Ms. Weasley."

At that moment Victoire decided to wake up.

XxXxX

Vic's POV

Heaven? I asked myself, looking around. No… too gray.

Hell?

No, not grey enough.

Oh I know! It's purgatory!

Wait, no that can't be it.

I stood in the middle of a grey landscape full of nothing. All I could see was the grey ground at my feet; the rest was a grey blur. Even the silk pajamas I wore were grey. I was really starting to hate the color.

The last thing I remembered was waking up from that terrible dream, shaking unstoppably and feeling as though someone was tearing at my insides. I remembered watching Ted break down the bedroom door and grabbing my face in his hands. I remembered asking him to help me, barely able to muster those words out. He told me it would all be okay, and I believed him. Then I slipped into unconsciousness.

"If only I could wake myself up!" I said out loud to myself. "Surely I am dreaming."

I pinched myself, which did nothing but make me giggle. I was extremely ticklish. Ted always took advantage of the fact when I was being stubborn. Once, during my third year, I tried it out on him. Instead of squirming like I expected, he had thanked me for the massage and asked me to rub his neck when I was done. I had given up on trying to tickle him after that, until a year later when he accidentally revealed his weakness.

Flashback

It was over the summer break when Ted and I were watching a film on the Potter's couch. It was well past the curfew my parents set for me, but they knew I was with Teddy so wouldn't care what time I got home, if I even got home at all. Lately I had been staying over at the Potters and just sleeping in their spare bedroom. Uncle Harry didn't mind, and Aunt Ginny loved having me around. She had been teaching me to cook, since my mother was a tad bit lacking in that particular area. Being part Veela meant Fleur Weasley had no need for cooking, when she could just flirt her way into any restaurant. Once she settled down with kids she hired a house elf to help with the cooking.

Unlike my mother, I wanted to be able to take care of myself. Learning to cook was just another thing I needed to learn. So I took to staying at the Potter's and helping Aunt Ginny with breakfast and sometimes dinner.

Somehow Teddy had pulled me out of the kitchen and convinced me to watch a horror film with him. I didn't even have to look at the cover to know it would be terrifying. Ted loved scary movies, but I think he mostly liked watching me scream like a little girl every time I watched them.

The movie had been playing for at least an hour now, and Aunt Ginny and Uncle Harry had long since said their goodnights, telling us not to stay up too late. Yeah, like that would happen. I would be lucky if Ted let me get to sleep by 2 A.M.

Ted was lying with his head on the armrest and his legs draped across my lap. I sat at the other end of the couch, clutching one of Ted's knees to my chest in anticipation.

The witch in the movie was walking alone through her house, with wand outstretched in front of her. Suddenly there was a small flash of light coming from the end of the hall. The witch called her boyfriend's name, obviously hoping he was somehow still alive after the evil creatures had attacked him. Of course there was no answer, but the witch kept walking down the hall. As she took a small step, the floors squeaked behind her. Whipping her head around, she came face to face with the shredded body of her boyfriend!

I jerked in my seat and let out a scream. My heart raced and I was still screaming when Teddy's laughter shut me up.

"Shut up, Ted!" I had exclaimed and threw a pillow at him, which he easily deflected.

He put his arm behind his head and continued to laugh until I finally decided to do something about it. I leaned over to push him off the couch, accidentally pushing inside his armpit. He immediately stopped laughing and squirmed.

I sat up in surprise.

"YOU ARE TICKLISH!" I exclaimed.

"Oi! I am NOT!" Teddy cried.

"We'll see about that, won't we?"

The fearful look in his eye was priceless.

Quick as Uncle Ron on Christmas morning, I jumped into Teddy's chest and tickled his armpits with everything I had.

He reacted with such gusto it sent us both tumbling to the floor. Now we were both sprawled out on the floor laughing. I clutched my stomach and tried stop the hysterics, knowing we were waking up the whole house.

Sure enough, it didn't take long before Uncle Harry was in the doorway, looking down at us in confusion.

Ted and I glanced at each other and then back at Uncle Harry, before bursting into another fit of laughter.

Once we calmed down, Uncle Harry simply muttered a few silencing spells around the room, and told us to go to bed soon. He even gave us his best "I'm-your-guardian-so-do-what-I-say" look. Ted and I nodded, still grinning at each other.

"I knew you were ticklish," I whispered.

Ted responded my jabbing the soft side of my stomach with two fingers, sending me into a fit of giggles.

End Flashback

I sat down in the grey world I dwelled in, smiling at the memory. Remembering Ted only made me miss the real world even more. A single tear slid down my face, falling off my chin. I watched it fall to the ground and land with a small splash. The floor got darker where my tear had hit it, and suddenly a small hole appeared in the spot. It got bigger and bigger until it was the size of my foot, then it stopped. I peered down into the hole but could see only darkness. Suddenly the hole expanded ten feet and I fell into the black.

XxXxX

I woke up with a jolt, sitting up right on a soft bed. Without even looking around, I knew I was in the Hogwarts Hospital wing. I could tell by the smell of sterile equipment and bottled potions.

"Your awake!" Ted said, rushing over to my side.

"Yeah, I am," I deadpanned, still confused by the situation.

"Look, I will explain everything. First let me go find Madame Kinlan to take a look at you now that you have opened your eyes."

"I will go find her, Mr. Lupin," said Snape, who I hadn't noticed had been standing behind Ted. "You stay here with Ms. Weasley."

Ted nodded and turned back to me, leaning over to kiss my forehead. He smoothed my hair with one hand and held mine with his other. I breathed in his familiar scent as he leaned back and instantly felt more at ease.

"I missed you, Little One," he breathed.

He winked at me and I smiled.