A faded photograph with frosting smeared across the corner shows Albus Severus in a highchair, wearing a paper hat, while Ginny tries in vain to make him wave at the camera. Teddy smiles. He himself had been nine at the time; he remembers it well…
Harry was distracted from a conversation with Andromeda Tonks by a sharp knock at the door. He excused himself, gently removed 3-year-old James from his lap, and stood up. He limped to the door as best he could with Teddy's arms tight around his leg.
"Bill!" He cried upon opening the door. "And Fleur! It's wonderful to see you!"
Ginny, Hermione, Ron and a few others gathered around to exchange warm greetings as Bill stepped inside, followed by Fleur with Dominique cradled in her arms. They talked and laughed, but Teddy saw only the stormy blue eyes peeking sheepishly out from behind the satin folds of his Aunt Fleur's long skirt. The way she looked at him!
"Say hi, Teddy!" cooed Ginny. Teddy let go of Harry and took a step forward. Victoire giggled bashfully and took two steps back.
"Go on, honey, you remember Teddy!" said Bill to Victoire.
She didn't budge. Teddy turned red and retreated behind his godfather again. The grown-ups all sighed.
"True love." said Harry knowingly. Bill laughed, but Ginny and Fleur sighed and shook their heads.
By noon, the Potter's cozy Godric's Hollow house was packed the gills. There was not enough room around the dining room table for the plethora of guests —Weasleys, mostly— so people wandered about, holding green paper plates and socializing. Teddy wound up on the sofa, squeezed between Uncle Charlie and Uncle George on his right, and James on his left.
Teddy was now sticking out his tongue and crossing his eyes to watch it turn green while James clapped and squealed. "Blue! Can you make it blue next?" Teddy was in the midst of doing so when he noticed his would-be brother was not his only audience. A pair of sheepish, sky blue eyes were peering around the end table at him. Victoire watched as if mesmerized.
Teddy's tongue faded back to normal. "Hi!" he called. She didn't respond. She didn't even blink. They were both blushing now. Teddy got an idea.
"Watch this!" He screwed up his face in concentration and turned his hair from blue to orange. Victoire smiled. Encouraged, Teddy tried again, this time his nose turned yellow and grew a few centimeters, but it stopped there. Teddy tried until he was sweating, but the nose wouldn't budge.
"I was trying to turn it into a bird beak." he explained. "I guess I need to work on it."
"I thought it was pretty cool anyway." She whispered.
That nervous, quiet praise made Teddy glow inside.
Late that night, when Albus's first birthday candle had been blown out with some help from Harry, the glob of frosting James had thrown was washed out of Rosie's hair, and the birthday boy was falling asleep in his mother's arms, Victoire and Teddy sat together on the porch swing, gazing at the stars. Teddy turned to say something to her, and saw those eyes glued to him again. Whatever he had been going to say was caught in his throat and forgotten.