Teddy turns to a picture of a twelve- year-old with silvery-blonde hair on a tire swing, sticking her tongue out at the camera as she swung in and out of the frame. He can't supress a giggle. He can still imagine that freckled little face torn between laughter and annoyance as she shouted:
"Give it back, Teddy!"
Victoire pouted and stamped her foot, snatching fruitlessly at the hair ribbon Teddy levitated just out of her reach.
I'll tell on you!" she whined. "You're not even supposed to use magic til you get to school!"
"'s okay, I'm too little to control it still. Ministry won't care." He said smugly, even though he'd been slowly learning to manipulate his magic since he was ten.
"No, but I'll tell your Gran on you!" A more serious threat than all the Ministry of Magic, for sure.
"I bet you won't!" He made the ribbon to drop down and tie itself neatly in a bow around her ponytail.
Victoire almost smiled, but she caught herself. "And what makes you think that?"
"Cuz I can beat you up."
"Betcha can't!"
"Can too. I'm bigger than you."
But then, Rose, who had inherited her father's talent for showing up at the worst moments, ran across the yard, shouting "Want to play a game?"
"What game?" asked Teddy.
"Truth or Dare."
"What is that?"
"A muggle game Aunt Audrey taught me. When it's your turn you say 'truth' or 'dare' and you have to either answer a question or do a dare."
"Alright. Let's ask James and Al to play, too."
"How about just James? Al chickens out on all the dares."
Teddy laughed. Victoire made a face to show him she hadn't forgotten their fight.
Soon, not only James and Albus, but Dominique, Molly, Freddie and Hugo sat in a circle by the pond in front of Teddy's grandmother's house.
"Can I go first?" asked Hugo with a slight lisp due to a missing front tooth.
"Alright," shrugged Rose.
"Victoire, truth or dare?" said Hugo.
"Truth, please."
"What's the most trouble you've ever been in?"
"That's a pretty lame question, Hugo."
"Tell me!"
Victoire thought. Suddenly her eyes met Teddy's and they burst out laughing.
"What?" asked the others.
"The time Teddy and I stole a whole tray of chocolate-chip cookies and hid under the table with them. We were halfway through the pan when mum spotted us. She was fuming."
"What did she say?"
"That's two questions, Hugo, it's my turn now. Teddy, truth or dare?"
"Dare."
Victoire thought. She needed a dare he would have to refuse. She wanted him to chicken out and humiliate himself, as payback for stealing her hairband.
She chose her dare carefully. "Kiss me."
"What?"
"You heard me. On the lips."
Teddy froze for a moment, then shrugged. He stood up and walked toward her.
Merlin's beard! Victoire thought. He's actually going to do it!
Teddy came closer and closer, and Victoire waited for the moment when he would give in. But Teddy wasn't stopping. Eventually, Victoire couldn't take it anymore. She turned and ran with a high-pitched squeak.
"Hey, no fair!" Teddy called. "Get back here!" He took a deep breath and charged after her. She ran in the house, rushed past Andromeda and hid under Teddy's bed. Teddy came barreling through the door after her.
"What has gotten into Victoire?" Andromeda asked. A muffled grunt from under the bed answered her.
"I don't know, Gran." Said Teddy innocently. He peeked under the bed and whispered, "Truce?"
Victoire nodded.