It is August 19, guys! (At least when I started it was…) I'm trying to keep a record of when I write stuff so I can remember how often I write. I've been giving you a lot of Victoire chapters, so I want your opinions here…would you rather read Vic's POV or Harry's? For now, though, it's a Vic chapter…enjoy :)
Victoire's POV
"I-I'm sorry?" Vic wasn't sure she'd heard the ghost—Fred—correctly.
"Ginevra Weasley, yes?" Fred's expression was hopeful.
James nodded.
Fred's smile was bigger than any Vic had ever seen. "I'd hug you if I could!" he exclaimed. "You said Potter was her last name?"
The two children nodded, still huddled on the ground, staring at Fred with wide, confused eyes.
Fred let out a loud whoop and jumped up, doing a sort of jig. "That's the most fantastic news I've heard in nineteen years!" he was nearly shouting.
"Fred," Victoire whispered loudly. "Fred, I'm sorry, but Filch is on our tails. We just escaped from him, so if you could please keep it down…" Victoire used the same tone of voice she'd have used with her parents—confident but cautious, with a hint of over-the-top politeness.
"Of course," Fred said, regaining his composure. "So, then," the ghost continued, sitting down across from James and Victoire, "who are the two of you?"
"I'm Victoire Weasley," Vic said, sticking her hand out instinctively. Fred stared at it, snickering.
"I can't shake that," he said matter-of-factly. He smiled, staring at her happily. "Merlin, you look like your mother," he said.
Victoire was startled by that comment. "You know my mother?"
"Fleur, I presume?" Fred confirmed. Victoire blinked. "That must mean Bill's your father. Are you in your sixth year?"
"Seventh," Vic snapped, slightly offended. She looked younger than her age, something she'd always found unfortunate.
Ignoring her comment, Fred turned to James. "And your name is…?"
"James Sirius Potter," James supplied proudly.
The corner of Fred's mouth twitched, and for a moment his expression turned cold. It was so quick of a change, though, that Vic thought she might have imagined it. "Named after your grandfather and his best friend," Fred grinned approvingly. "Sirius Black. Good man. I can't say I ever knew James."
James nodded, his lips pursed. "Dad's told me what he knows about Grandad," he said quietly.
There was a long pause before Fred said, "So what brings the two of you out of bed after curfew?"
James and Victoire glanced at each other, and James nodded to Vic. She hesitated before saying, "We were in the restricted section at the library. Looking up horcruxes."
Fred's eyebrows furrowed, and he disappeared.
"Fred?" Vic called out, standing quickly. "Fred, please come back."
James finally stood and began to wrap the invisibility cloak around the two of them.
"Wait," Fred reappeared at last.
James and Vic remained standing, and James draped the cloak over his left arm.
"I don't know much," Fred said, staring Vic straight in the eyes, "but there was a bit that I overheard about horcruxes when I was living."
"We're listening," James said.
Fred sighed. "A horcrux is something that a man places a part of his soul into. It's a small object. Like a locket. Or a ring. A diary…" Fred trailed off, escaping into his own thoughts.
Vic let out a tiny cough.
"Sorry," Fred said, his thoughts resurfacing. "A horcrux gives a wizard virtual immortality. Unless the horcrux is destroyed, the wizard can never truly die."
"Why would Uncle Harry have been talking about horcruxes?" she asked herself.
Fred, hearing what she'd said, asked, "Where did you hear Harry talking about horcruxes?"
After explaining the gist of what had happened a few weeks ago, Fred stared at Victoire like she must have been lying. "Death Eaters? They're still…here?" he whispered. Fred shook his head. "I still don't understand where you heard about horcruxes."
"It was the last word I heard Uncle Harry say after they locked me out of the room," Vic explained.
"I don't know why he'd have been talking about them," Fred said weakly. He averted Vic's eyes as well as he could. He was lying.
Vic pursed her lips. "There was one more thing he said," Vic started.
Fred's eyes met hers again.
"Do you know what a Padfoot is?"
For a long time, Fred didn't answer. "I think it's best that you get going," he said at last.
"Please, Fred," Victoire begged.
"Look," the ghost said plainly, "if you want to come back, you can come in five days at midnight."
Five days, Victoire thought hard. That was a Wednesday. "I have Astronomy," she blurted.
Fred cracked a smile. "Make it six days. I'll see you then." And with that, the ghost disappeared.
Vic and James looked at each other, pulled the cloak over the two of them, and made their way back to the Gryffindor Tower, presenting the Fat Lady with the password.
It was nearly dawn, but there was no way that the duo could possibly sleep after what they'd witnessed.
"Vic," James turned toward his cousin. Both of them sat in front of the fireplace, staring into the mesmerizing oranges, yellows, and reds. "Fred said he was my mum's brother."
Vic nodded.
"Then he's my uncle?"
"That makes him my uncle too," Vic said. "I wonder why no one's mentioned him before?"
"Do you want to know who I think he looks like?" James began. "I think he looks like Uncle George."
And that's when it clicked. "Of course!" Vic said brightly. "That's who I was thinking of! I knew he looked exactly like someone else, I just couldn't figure it out."
"Vic?" someone said.
Victoire snapped her head around, where she saw Ollie Wood standing at the foot of the stairs, already dressed in his school robes.
"Why are you up so early?" he asked suspiciously.
"I could pose the same question for you," Vic said confidently.
Ollie shifted uncomfortably. "Is everything okay with you, then?" he asked awkwardly. What was going on with Ollie? Vic had never seen him so uncomfortable in her life.
"It's fine," Vic said. "We're just talking about family," she gestured toward James.
"Is everything alright at home, then?" Ollie questioned. Why was he snooping so much?
"Of course," Vic gave him the most earnest smile she could muster.
There was a long pause in which James glanced back and forth between Vic and Ollie. Finally, Ollie said, "Should we head to breakfast, then?"
"Is it really that time?" Vic asked honestly. Ollie nodded as two more Gryffindors, most likely fourth-years, poked their heads out of the stairway and creeped down the old steps. Ollie politely stepped out of the way for them to pass, and the two fourth-years exited the common room.
"Are you ready?" Vic asked James, standing up.
James stood up after his cousin. "Can we wait for Albus and Rose?" he asked hesitantly.
Vic had forgotten about her two first year cousins. She nodded, and she, James, and Ollie Wood stood making small talk until Albus Potter and Rose Weasley emerged from their dorms. Fortunately for Vic and James, they'd had their school robes on the entire night and hadn't needed to change.
"Take a shower when you have a break in your classes," Vic whispered to James on the way to the Dining Hall. She'd be doing the same, as she couldn't stand the idea of even touching her own hair for fear of the grease that she knew she'd accumulated overnight.
During breakfast, Vic sat across from Ollie and next to Rose and James. Albus took a seat next to his brother.
"So," Ollie began once they all had full plates of food in front of them, "What's this about you and a certain Teddy Lupin?" he wiggled his eyebrows.
Vic smiled and blushed profusely.
"They were snogging on the platform!" James added in with a mouthful of food. "I saw it myself. Lips, tongue, the whole lot of it."
Vic's eyes widened, as did Ollie's, and Vic put her hands over her face as an attempt to hide herself from further embarrassment.
"Gee, Vic," Ollie said sarcastically as Victoire pulled her hands away from her face, "Thank you so much for bothering to include anything about this in your letters over the summer."
"I was waiting to tell you," Vic said guiltily.
"What is there to tell besides 'Oh, and by the way I have a boyfriend named Teddy Lupin!'?" Ollie spoke so loudly that the attention of many other students turned to them.
"There's more to tell than that," Vic tried to whisper. Her cheeks were red as cherries.
Ollie nearly choked on the bite of sausage he was eating. "More, then?" he exclaimed. "Merlin, you're not…" he glanced at Vic's stomach, "…are you?"
Vic was so shocked at this accusation that she spit the gulp of chocolate milk she'd just taken back into her cup. "No," Vic said firmly. "No."
"Well what is it, then?" Ollie threw his hands up in the air, sending his fork flying across to the Hufflepuff table. A few third years gave him strange looks then turned back to their breakfasts.
"Accio fork," Ollie muttered, and his fork flew back into his hand.
James, Albus, and Rose snickered.
"Yes, Vic," James said, trying to hold back a grin, "what else is there to tell?"
Vic refused to respond to the question, and finished eating her breakfast in peace.
When she had eaten her last bite, she stood up with purpose and walked out of the hall toward the Gryffindor common room.
She could tell from the click clack of footsteps behind her that Ollie had followed her. Victoire stopped in her tracks, waiting for him to catch up. She said nothing.
"I didn't mean to put you on the spot," Ollie said when he was sure Vic wasn't going to speak. Vic's lips remained closed. "Honestly, Vic, I didn't figure it was that big of a deal."
"Well it is!" Vic snapped. "I don't want any of my family knowing just quite yet, okay? My parents would disapprove."
"They'd disapprove of the fact that you have a boyfriend?"
"No," Vic shook her head. "They'd disapprove of the fact that I'm engaged."
Ollie's mouth dropped wide open, but before he could say anything more, Rose Weasley came running up with a piece of parchment in her hand. "Victoire!" she called out to her cousin, "I have a letter for you." Rose's red hair glinted in the light and her numerous freckles made her cheeks look even bigger than normal—and that was saying something. "Dominique found me at breakfast after you'd left," the 11 year old explained. "She told me to give this to you. She said that Cynric delivered it."
Vic smiled widely and snatched the letter from Rose's fingers. "Thanks, Rosie," she said sweetly, and continued walking toward the common room as Rose headed back toward the dining hall.
"Who's Cynric?" Ollie asked.
But Vic didn't answer. She was stuck staring at the intricately designed turquoise "L" on the back of the envelope.
WOOHOO ALL DONE with this chappie! It is now August 22, guys! …4 days to write one chapter…I blame my busy schedule…and plus I'm sick so I'm not as motivated to write :( ….hope you liked this one :) and in case you didn't figure it out, "then" is a word that Ollie uses a LOT.