Amortentia

Chapter Five – Diagon Alley

It was agreed. James, Teddy, Victoire And Molly would be going to Diagon Alley. For the past half hour Harry had put up with James tugging on his leg and little Albus on his arm.

"It's not fair. Why can't we go Dad?" James questioned for about the thousandth time. Harry prised his hands off his leg.

"Wait a year. Be patient James." Was all Harry could reply. As Harry finished speaking James pulled a face before launching back into asking again.

"But why?"

James's pleas were soon cut short when Molly addressed the group. There were few left now but still it was too big for an older Molly to shout over.

"Come on Teddy, you first." Teddy shuffled forward amongst the people and stooped low to fit into the grate. He now realised another reason why he didn't travel by floo power more often. He was too tall for the fireplace.

He winced as he knocked his head.

Clutching the powder hard so that it didn't slip between his fingers he spoke clearly and concise.

"Diagon Alley"

Teddy's stomach lurched as he was sucked into the vortex of swirling fireplaces, squeezing his eyes tightly shut he started to feel the velocity fall. He felt he was going to be sick.

Teddy stepped out of the fireplace in the familiar surroundings of The Leaky Cauldron and jumped for joy; Andromeda and Teddy never travelled using the floo network. This meant that Teddy usually lost his balance and stumbled out injuring himself because of his nausea, general two left footedness and once he even literally fell head over heels bruising not only his head but his pride.

Teddy didn't have to wait long before the fire blazed green once again and Harry stepped out of the grate, this pattern continued until everyone was grouped together once again. They didn't have time for a drink as they had a lot of shopping to do in a short space of time, this thought didn't please Teddy. He hated shopping.

"Come on Teddy! Let's get going!" He gritted his teeth and forced a smile at Victoire who was pulling him towards the door her hand squeezing his tightly.

"Argh! This queue is taking forever." Complained Victoire as she juggled her books in Floretts and Blotts. Teddy caught a book that slipped just before it hit the tiled floor as it fell from her grasp. Victoire shot him a quick apologetic smile. She held out her porcelain hand to receive the book back as she juggled the others again into her spare arm. Teddy shook his head and added it to the top of his pile. Victoire's expression changed and Teddy studied her confused but pretty face.

Much more than just a pretty face.

"Welcome home gift" he said flashing her, what he thought was an attractive smile and she rolled her eyes smirking.

"But I haven't got you anything." She said her smirk slipping and laughed.

"Just let me buy it." She nodded and gave him an awkward one armed cuddle before shuffling forward. Teddy watched Victoire's face again, how her eyes sparkled as she was thinking hard and how her perfect eyebrow was arched at a slight angle as if pointing to her subtle peach lips that puckered as she thought.

"I know! After we've finished here I'll buy you an ice-cream." Her face burst into a sudden smile and all essence of thought was removed. Teddy even thought she looked chuffed.

"Deal." He said smiling in return. The crowd grew shorter as time passed but Teddy never grew bored as he and Victoire were happy chatting. But as he stood making conversation he realised that he could just stand there and watch her.

"Ted! Teddy! T-Man!" Teddy's laugh was cut off as Bronx and Cody fought their way towards where he was stood. Bronx led the way, towering over many of the younger wizards his fluffy blonde hair bounced on his head. Following behind was Cody, smaller build than Bronx but still tall. Teddy noted that Cody was growing his hair out and smiled as they reached him.

"Hey boys. How was your summer?" Bronx clapped Teddy hard on the back sliding in front of Victoire while Cody went into the hug. Teddy smiled apologetically at Victoire who had moved to allow the boys to occupy her previous space.

"Boring. I bet you spent the entire time with shorty here that's why you never met up. I thought we were going to practice to get the Quidditch cup...again." Bronx threw a finger at Victoire and she pulled a face back grimacing. Victoire didn't like Bronx, to be honest she despised him to put it into her own words he was a "creep".

Teddy smiled remembering her face.

"Haha very funny Bronx, but i'm regular size. We're not all giants you know." Teddy wanted to laugh at her forcefulness but decided now was not the time. She did look rather frightening. Bronx leant forward as if he was going to kiss her, Teddy's arm twitched uncomfortably as if ready to push his friend back. Bronx stopped and spoke.

"Not the only thing that's giant doll face." Bronx winked flirtily causing Victoire to look away in disgust, her eyes narrowed and jaw locked.

Bronx always was arrogant but girls fell for his muscular build, amber eyes and fluffy blonde locks. Bronx didn't move away even though Teddy shot him what was supposed to be a warning look. Teddy's own eyes narrowed.

"Next please."

Victoire walked to where the cashier was calling without glancing back once, Teddy waited until she was out of earshot before clutching Bronx by the colour and pulling him forward.

"Cut it out. Now." Teddy's words dripped with malice but Bronx stared on perplexed, he prised Teddy's finger off slowly and leant back crossing his arms. Teddy still kept the deadly look.

"Any chance of fixing us up with pretty Vicky?" Bronx asked ignoring their confrontation. Teddy stared at him bewildered. Teddy couldn't believe his ears.

Cody cleared his throat and stepped between the two boys.

"Bronx let's go and get our books we'll catch up with Teddy later." Cody pushed Bronx away towards the potion books before turning back to Teddy with a serious look on his face.

"What the hell was that about? What's going on?" Cody's voice was strained as he tried to keep his voice down. Teddy's face screwed up in confusion.

"Nothing Cody. Leave it." Teddy snapped before walking to the next cashier that called after him. He turned around to see Cody shaking his head as he walked towards Bronx. What was going on? One thing for sure was Teddy already had a headache...

"You have ice-cream on your nose." Teddy laughed as he wiped the pink goo of strawberry and peanut butter off Victoire's perfect ski point nose. She smiled and put the ice-cream back to her subtle lips.

They walked in comfortable silence, both wrapped up in their own thoughts. While Teddy didn't know what Victoire was thinking he did know what was going on in his own mind.

What was Cody going on about? His muggle Dad being a therapist had to have impacted him in some way, he looked into things too much. In their group of three Cody was always the most reserved hardly ever talking about the muggle life he went back to every summer, but always the heart of a joke. Bronx on the other hand was a show off, bold as brass, never shutting up. Teddy had started to blame him for Victoire not hanging around with them until he remembered that she had her own group of friends. With both of them in separate houses they hardly saw each other between classes, due to the immense amount of homework and their personal commitments. Teddy's heart sank at this prospect but then rose again as he remembered the Hogsmeade trips that would be schedualed when they could catch up then.

Just the two of them...

"What are you smiling at?" Victoire teased. "Is it a girl?"

Teddy laughed shaking his head, his laugh was rather nervous. It sounded stupid to say 'Oh, Victoire I was thinking of spending some alone time with a beautiful blonde by the name of Victoire Weasley. Yourself?"

"Nothing." Teddy said confused as he played with his hands. He was suddenly overwhelmed as everything was piecing itself together.

Was he, Teddy Lupin falling in love with Victoire?

Had brotherly love grown into something stronger?

Teddy opened his mouth and closed it again unsure of what to say.

"Armand."

Teddy's head shot up to Victoire face to where she was looking. He turned around to follow her line of sight to see an olive skinned boy, shorter that himself with cat like green eyes and black short hair. A scowl automatically set itself on Teddy's face, which grew more forceful as Victoire handed him her ice-cream.

Without looking back, Victoire ran straight at this...Armand and hugged him tight smiling. Armand was also smiling but Teddy thought he looked like an idiot as his nostrils flared all over his face.

"What's up Teddy? You look like Bronx after he's being rejected by a sixth year girl." Cody asked strolling over and taking Victoire's ice-cream out of Teddy's clenched hands.

Teddy remained silent as Cody took a bite out of the tasteful goo staring at Victoire who was now laughing madly. Teddy got more angry if that was humanly possible and Cody's face screwed up.

"Who's that?" Cody questioned. Teddy didn't even bother to look at Cody his eyes were still locked on on Armand.

"That, is Armand." He spat.

"Oh, competition?"

Teddy didn't reply and Cody took another bite.