It was around noon when we left for the burrow. I had taken way too long to get ready, getting dressed and then changing my outfit three times, then doing my make up and hair and also packing several outfits for the next days. We always spent a few days at the burrow, but Christmas day was the most exciting, of course.

Dominique was already sitting in the kitchen with my mum when I came downstairs. Louis arrived a minute later but he had obviously just gotten out of bed. My dad came down the stairs at last and we apparated to the burrow.

We appeared in the middle of the yard, between laundry lines that were hung with bedsheets despite the fact that it looked like it was about to rain. My dad smiled and pushed his way through the sheets. This was his childhood home after all. We walked into the kitchen through the garden door and were immediately hit with a wave of warm air from the oven, where trays of Christmas biscuits were baking.

My Grandmother came running into the kitchen almost immediately. "Bill! Fleur! And the kids! Oh how lovely!" she exclaimed, hugging all of them. "The other children are in the attic, if you want to go play with them," she said to Dominique and Louis. She half said it to me as well, but at sixteen I was a bit too old to be with my cousins and normally, I would have hung out with Teddy the whole time. Now, I was either going to join my cousins, who were either much younger than me or currently going through puberty or I could join my aunts and uncles, discuss politics and school and my future with them. It was both horrible. I pretended to follow my siblings upstairs but then went into one of the empty bedrooms. Better to be alone than to talk to my family right now.

I pulled out my phone and texted Jade.

"Literally why am I here right now? I don't want to talk about my life right now. What do I dooooo?"

Jade replied instantly.

"Oh honey, think of something else to talk about. Idk, tell them you want to be an auror or something."

Jade always gave me actual, useful advice. She probably knew I wasn't going to actually follow it. I was going to sit there and wallow in my sad thoughts until it was time for dinner. But Jade knew me too well.

"If you're still alone I want you to at least ask your Grandma if she needs help with dinner."

Jade was right, of course.

I went downstairs and asked my Grandma. She cheerfully told me to peel potatoes and carrots. I sat down and began peeling.

Mz Grandma kept up a constant chatter about her and my Grandpa and her children an grandchildren and I just sat and listened. Occasionally humming an "mmh" so she knew I was listening.

When I was done with the vegetables I checked my phone and texted Jade

"Helping my Grannie, ist quite nice. Thanks."

Jade only sent me back a smiley face. I checked my Instagram account. I was quite successful on Instagram. Even though it was a muggle site, you couldn't help but hear about it. So I had created an account when I was 13 and it had taken of quite quickly. I mostly posted outfit pictures or pictures of me studying in the library or pictures of Teddy and I over the summer. Mz newest notification was that someone had liked a picture of me and Teddy in France that summer. I looked at the picture and smiled. I remembered that Teddy had texted me and I had not replied. It was what he deserved after not talking to me for five months, but it was not my style.

"Merry Christmas you arse. Feel free to text me again in another five months."

I typed the message but didn't send it right away. I weighed my options. Don't send it and just not reply at all. Don't send it and write something nicer. Or send it and see how he reacts. I decided that I had a right to be angry. I had sent him letters, texts and called him and he had ignored me completely. I sent the message.

"Are you alright, Victoire?" my Grandma asks me. I have an expressive face. I nod. "Yeah, alright, just texted a friend." Grandma smiled. "Oh yes, right, I always forget what you can do with those muggle things." I smiled as well and put my phone away. Teddy probably wouldn't reply anyway.