Chapter 1: Regrets

Lily shot off down the Grand Staircase towards the Defence Against the Darks Arts classroom, with only one thought in mind: she had to tell Teddy the truth.

She just couldn't believe Victoire. She and Ted had been together for as long as Lily could remember, and they were about to be married for God's sake!

Not only that, why on Earth would she choose Professor Davies? He was a premature-balding man, who spits when he talks. Gross.

As Lily turned into the corridor, she felt someone grab hold of her arm and yank her into an empty classroom. Lily turned around to face her cousin, Victoire. She was red in the face, either from running to catch up with Lily or from her snog-session with Davies.

Victoire looked at Lily with remorse in her eyes, something Lily was sure she had practiced on one too many occasions. "Lily, please, don't do this," Victoire pleaded. Lily took a deep breath, trying to hold in her anger. "Are you serious, Vic? Do you honestly expect me not to tell him about this? He's my best mate!"

"And I'm your cousin! I know we aren't very close, and obviously, I could tell that you've always been a little jealous of me…" Lily started to interrupt, but Victoire cut across her, "but you need to understand that I made a mistake with Roger! I was ending everything today, I promise."

Lily looked at her cousin and knew for a fact she never intended on "ending" anything with Davies. Lily, who was very annoyed with her cousin, took a deep breath and said, "Oh, yeah, it definitely looked like you were trying to end things, didn't it?"

Victoire rolled her eyes. "You don't even know what you walked in on, okay? I was ending it, whether you think so or not. Roger just doesn't like to take no for an answer." Lily was completely amazed at the lies spewing out of her cousin's mouth.

"How long have you been hooking up with Davies?" Lily demanded. "Not long, I promise. I-I made a mistake, Lil, a horrible mistake. Ted and I got into a fight, and Roger was there to comfort me. It only happened once, and when I went to end it today, he tried to snog me again. That is what you walked in on. It wasn't my fault, honest."

Victoire began to break down into tears, crying and sobbing about her "regrets." Lily was, for a split second, impressed. Any person who didn't know Vic would believe the remorse in her cousin's voice and the tears strolling down her beautiful face.

However, Lily had seen this act several times before. It worked on every single person, even her dad sometimes. It didn't matter because what Lily walked in on was not a man who just didn't know how to "take no for an answer."

Lily knew, however, that expressing that thought would get her nowhere with her cousin. "Whether you were "going to end it," Vic," Lily began, "is beside the point. You still did it once. Teddy deserves to know that."

Victoire stopped crying, instantly. "Why on Earth does he need to know? I told you, Lily, for the third time already, that I ended it. Don't make me ruin my whole relationship with Ted over one mistake."

"Why did you do it to begin with?" Victoire looked at her. She was clearly aggravated at Lily for not believing her every word, but hid it well. Lily watched as Victoire's lips quivered before answering, "I already told you that we argued, Lily."

"So, what? Couples argue, that happens in relationships. Hell, even my parents argue sometimes, and you don't see my mum running off, having an affair. Now, I'll ask one more time, why did you do it?"

Victoire took her time answering, and when she did, she had such a defeated tone. "I was tired that he wasn't being involved in the wedding planning. When I would address him about it, he sounded so disinterested. Then he started to become extremely distant. I-I thought he was cheating on me, Lily!

I was upset, and I confided in Roger. He was there for me. It was the one and only moment of weakness I ever had in my relationship with Ted, and I regretted it as soon as it happened. I know now that Ted would never cheat on me. I accept now that he gets in these weird moods every month, but like any normal human being, I doubted him.

So, with admitting my mistakes, and making the decision to end everything with Roger, I don't feel there is any reason for Ted to know about this, wouldn't you agree?" Victoire clutched at her heart and began to cry again.

Lily was dumbfounded. She was shocked at audacity of her cousin, trying to turn everything around on Teddy. He had always put up with Victoire's crap, always being completely devoted to her, even when everyone could see Victoire did not show him the same devotion.

Lily was getting angry now. "You do realize, Victoire, that the reason Teddy doesn't get involved with the wedding planning anymore is because he wanted a low-profile wedding, with just friends and family, but you decided to have this big affair, and specifically guilt-tripped my dad into officiating you would get more coverage?"

Victoire halted her tears at once, and looked as if she was about to interrupt. "And furthermore," Lily continued sharply, "obviously because of these wedding plans that "mysteriously" got leaked, the prophet has been producing more pages about Teddy's "tragic past" and his parents. So, of course, he would be thinking about his parents a lot as the wedding got closer, having to deal with the fact that they will never see him married."

Victoire's eyes were blazing with anger. "You act as if I didn't realize that already, and Ted hasn't had any problem with the Prophet covering our wedding. How dare you insinuate that I leaked my own wedding plans!" Victoire snapped.

Lily had finally had it with her cousin's lies. "Oh, I know you leaked the wedding plans. You would do anything to get more attention. How dare you make this out as Ted's fault?! And if you ever paid attention to someone other than yourself, you would know the reason why Ted gets "moody" around this time is because it's a full moon tonight. It reminds him of his dad, you lying, cheating, git."

Victoire's face turned from anger to pure hatred in a matter of seconds. "So, it seems like nothing I say will convince you, will it? As I've said, you have always been jealous of me, and I can see why. If I had your hair and complexion, I would want to be just like me, too," Victoire said, coolly, flipping her long, blonde hair out of her face.

"But do you honestly think that Ted would believe you over me? You can pretend all day that Ted is your "best mate," but you were just that stupid little brat that wouldn't leave him alone. He doesn't actually want anything to do with you."

Lily rolled her eyes at her cousin. "Look, Vic, I'm not dealing with you anymore. I will give you until the end of the week to tell Teddy the truth, and let him come to his own conclusions about the type of person you really are."

Lily pushed past her fuming cousin, not wanting to even be in the same vicinity as her anymore. "And what happens, if I don't tell him, Lily?" Victoire asked, with even more hate in her voice.

Lily stop but didn't turn around. She spoke her next words with determination. "I promise you, Vic, if you don't tell him, I will."

And with that, Lily strode off to her dormitory, making sure to avoid any shortcuts along the way.