Author's note: I wanted to get to know my three older kids, James, Danaë, and Michael for a little bit. I also wanted to touch upon Victorie. So that's what this little filler is for. I have a link on my profile that supposed to connect to images I made of the characters…but it's not working right about now… I'll let you know when it's fixed.
Chapter Six: Just To See You Smile
Al walked down stairs one late November day. He was trying to hide from Rose and Lizzy, who were both very keen on getting their friends completely studied and prepared for their exams before school let out for the holiday. Al was sure he was all studied out, and there was still a week before exams. He loved his cousin, and liked Lizzy a lot, but he knew that if they hounded him about studying for his Potions exam, of which he already knew he'd be dreadful, he was going to kill them.
A couple of people bickering by the fireplace caught Al's attention, and he looked over to see James and Michael talking in low voices.
"I know you like her…" Michael said quietly. "Just ask her."
"No, she's my friend. I don't like her that way." James responded.
"Liar," Michael said, sitting back and crossing his arms. "You know, I'm pretty sure she likes you back." James looked at Michael and then saw his little brother over Michael's shoulder.
"You know, it's pretty hard to take you seriously looking like that anyway," James teased. "Hey Al," he said, raising the volume in his voice. "What's up?
"It's not my fault I was born with midnight blue hair and not black like yours and Dan's…" Michael protested, and then he turned and saw Al. "Hey Albus, hold on, no fair trying to change the subject on me."
"Your fault for having such a boring subject." James said.
"It's not boring." Michael said. "Hey Al, what do you think about James asking out…ooff!" Michael didn't finish; James had tackled his best friend to the floor and put his hands over his mouth. Al chuckled at the two on the floor. Just then, Danaë walked down from the girls' dormitories. She saw James and Michael before they saw her, and she looked at Al with an amused look on her face.
"Hey Al," she said with a laugh. Her voice startled the two on the floor and they froze mid tackle and both turned to look at Danaë. James' ears had turned bright red, while Michael was now seconds away from uncontrollable laughter. "Hey boys," she added, her own face screwed up, trying not to laugh.
"He...Hey," James said sheepishly. He quickly jumped up and patted imaginary dirt from his robes and pointed at Michael. "He started it!"
"Did not!" Michael argued. "You're the one that accosted me!"
"How are you doing Al. Ready for exams?" Danaë asked.
"Yea, Rose and Lizzy have me studying all the time," al sighed. "Are you coming to our house for Holidays this year?" Al asked, but it was a stupid question. Danaë had been coming to their house for every break from school since James' first year.
"Of course, your mum just wrote to invite me," Danaë said. "And to check in on you two, since apparently you and James have fallen behind in keeping in touch at home. Tsk tsk, Al," Danaë giggled.
"Uh, we were just about to do that, weren't we James?" Al looked at his brother who nodded seriously.
"Yea, right…" Danaë said.
"No, really, come on James," Al stepped around Danaë and grabbed his brother, dragging him to the door. Once out of ear shot of Danaë and Michael, James sighed.
"Great, now we have to write a bloody letter…" he pouted.
"I could have left you back there," Al said. "You could show off your bright red ears to Danaë," Al teased and pinched his brother's ear.
"Ow! Hey!" James shoved at his brother. "I…I was embarrassed about how she found me and Michael," James said brushing at his clothes. "Don't want her to get the wrong idea, you know."
"Oh right, I doubt that would give her the "wrong idea"." Al said. "Now, the fact you haven't asked her out yet…"
"Albus!" James snatched at his brother. But Al was quick and he ran from his brother all the way to the Owlery, laughing loudly.
The Head's dorm was quiet that afternoon, exactly what Victorie needed. Her fellow Head boy, Marcus Donovan from Hufflepuff, was currently in his house common room hanging out with friends. Victorie waved him off so that she could study for her Transfiguration exam. And of course, when she needed a break from her studies, there was always the fact that she hadn't worked on Ravenclaw's Quidditch strategies either, and their first game back from Holiday was against Gryffindor. It must be the Weasley in her that made her so competitive, but she really wanted to beat James this year.
Victorie sighed and leaned back on her bed. This was all too much. What with it being her seventh year, all the extra classes she was taking, Quidditch, and her internship she was starting with Aunt Hermione at the MLE office over Christmas, she barely had enough time to write home occasionally, and that included Teddy.
Ted, her best friend from her entire life, who finally took some initiative and asked her out last June, was probably busier then she was. He was in Auror training with Uncle Harry, and she knew that the training was long and vigorous, especially for those fresh out of school like Teddy was. But busy or not, she missed her metamorphmagus, werewolf boyfriend. She didn't think her first year away at school without him would be this difficult.
Just then a snow white owl knocked on Victorie's window. She got up and it flew onto a perch that usually housed her own barn owl, but Jacquie was hunting right now. "Hello Moony," Victorie said. "What have you got for me?" She petted the owl affectionately and took the letter tied to its foot.
Miss me? –T.
"That's it?" Vic asked the owl. I haven't seen or talked to him in how long? And this is it?" Victorie rolled her eyes and placed the letter on the table. She reached into her desk and pulled out some owl nibbles for Moony. "Here sweetie," she said. "So you have enough strength to go home to Teddy and inform him on how annoyed I am with his note." Moony just looked at Vic, and then turned its head toward the fire place. Just then, green flames erupted from her fireplace and out walked turquoise haired, tall and smiling Ted Lupin, and suddenly Vic wasn't so angry anymore.
"Teddy!" She squealed, running at him and hugging him tight. Teddy laughed and swung Victorie around twice before placing her back on the floor and kissing her nose. "What are you doing here?"
"I had a lunch break," Teddy said as he began to wipe soot off of his clothes. Course, he didn't mention that if Harry found out that he floo'd to Hogwarts, he's probably be in so much trouble that he'd be training for another year. "And I missed you." Teddy smiled, kissing Vic softly.
"I missed you too," Vic said. "Aren't you going to get in trouble?" She said.
"Of course," Teddy said. "But you know, I kind of have an in with the boss, and I haven't used it against him in a while so…" Teddy kissed her again.
"I don't want you to get in trouble," Victorie said, though she leaned into the kiss anyway. They were soon interrupted though by a slamming door. Marcus was back.
"Hey Vicki!" he called out and Victorie cringed at the nickname. "Did you do that Defense homework…mind if I borrowed it?" She heard him shuffling in the living space and knew he was going through her book bag.
"I don't like him," Teddy said. "Not one bit."
"Me neither, but I need to go stop him from going through my things…" Vic sighed. Maybe a bat-bogey hex would sort the head boy out; course, the head girl probably shouldn't be acting up like that.
"I need to go anyway," Teddy said. "Or Harry will get suspicious," Teddy kissed her again and the tips of his hair turned bubble-gum pink.
"Cute," Victorie said, hugging him one last time, "now go on, I'll see you at Christmas."
"At Christmas," Teddy agreed and he left through the fireplace.
"Marcus! Get out of my things!" Victorie said, storming out of her room and chasing after the Hufflepuff with her Defense Against the Dark Arts Essay in her hand.
Back in her room, Jacquie flew through the window and Moony scooted over so that the female owl could sit upon her perch. The two owls looked at each other and then Moony rested his head on Jacquie, who sighed contently.