Ahem. Bit rusty, so if it's squeaky here and there- apologies! Ted and Vic in this one, I'll let you know when they switcheroo. Thanks to everyone who continued to show interest and sorry I am so all over the place. Hopefully this makes up for it! :)

TEDDY:

"Vic. Eat something."

She picked up a piece of toast absently, taking a tiny bite and giving me a look of annoyance. I supressed a sigh. She'd been difficult all day. She ate next to nothing, constantly stared out of the window, barely listened to a word I said and had expressed no interest in leaving my dorm. Which, a month ago, would have made me scream with happiness. But not so much now.

It was worrying, how distant she seemed. I mean, she was stressed and hurt and freaking out and I got that, but she wasn't showing it. She was just… quiet. Far too quiet. There was no bitchy comments, or sarcastic retorts; just murmurs and noncommittal shrugs.

"For Merlin's sake Vic- say something. Anything."

Exasperated, I turned on the bed to face her; glancing over the untouched breakfast Lys had brought her to stare at her silent face. She really was too beautiful. Staring down at the floor in solemn, grave contemplation she looked like something one of those real depressed artists created; like an impossibly beautiful statue weighed by troubled mere mortals couldn't understand. I should have been jumping for joy that we were finally out in the open. But I was beginning to think that having everyone find out might have been the worst thing that had happened to us. She blinked, taking forced calming breaths.

"What do you want me to say?"

I stared at her. "I don't know. Just… how are you feeling?" I ran an awkward hand through my hair, wincing at how pathetic that question sounded.

"I'm fine Teddy." She replied tersely.

"No you aren't. Aren't we going to talk about… things?" I continued stubbornly.

"Like what?" Her tone was even more forced.

"You know what."

"You mean the fact that entire school thinks I'm a slut? That I cheated on Zabini? And by extension deserved that Zabini cheated on me? That I'm going to have to see Bursnell in class, in my common room- and Zabini too for that matter-"

"Hey, hey." I grabbed at her wrist. "You won't be doing it alone. I'll be right beside you."

"You can't be everywhere Teddy. I have to go back to my common room eventually."

"I have the cloak." I reminded her, a small smile playing on my lips.

"Yeah, but you'll be invisible." She retorted bitterly. "So as far as everyone else is concerned; I'll be alone."

I sat up on the bed, my gaze focused on her downcast, angry face. "Who cares what everyone else thinks? You and I know better."

"Who cares? Who cares? I care! Everybody fucking cares, and anyone who pretends differently is kidding themselves." She all but hissed, her eyes watering dangerously again and refusing to meet mine. She was back to staring out the window again.

"Vic… I don't know what you want me to say." I offered helplessly.

"I don't want you to say anything. Can you… can you just leave me alone for a while?"

I swallowed, hating to leave her but at a complete loss as to what else I should do.

"Um… yeah. Yeah, I'll… get you more food."

Neither of us acknowledged the plate of untouched food sitting on the bed between us, or how unnecessary that was. She didn't look at me again as I walked out, gently closing the door behind me. I lingered on the step to our dormitory for a beat; breathing heavily. I hadn't left it's safety all morning, busy trying to lift Victoire from her mood. I couldn't help but feel responsible, feel like it was my job to put things right. It had never even occurred to me that when we finally were able to be together, it might not be worth it. Because we were fantastic. When I was with her freely, I couldn't remember a time I'd been happier. But if it was never going to be that way-

No. I was being ridiculous. The school had only just found out last night. Of course today was going to be rough. But in a week or two, maybe a month, things would quiet down. They had to.

Steeling myself, I placed one weary foot on the stairs and kept marching. I could hear animated voices rising from room below; most of the students milling around, enjoying their Sunday and probably subtly waiting for the moment Victoire Weasley emerged again.

The second I rounded the steps, I was hit by a wall of noise. A few of the boys were clapping appreciatively and wolf whistling, as the girls erupted into a flurry of gossip and speculation. Keeping my head down, I marched over to a darker corner of the room where Aelius and Craig had been hiding out to give us privacy. Rose sat between them on the sofa, chewing her lip worriedly.

"How is she?"

Her big brown eyes fixed on me as I slumped into the seat opposite them; exhausted from a night of a crying Victoire and trying to follow her mood spins.

"She's… yeah. Pretty shit. She won't talk to me." I mumbled defeated, closing my tired eyes for just a beat.

Rose sighed softly, as though I'd confirmed her suspicions. "You guys… you haven't gone out there yet have you?" She jerked her head to the portrait door, indicating the school beyond.

I shook my head. "No. Why? What are people saying?"

Aelius looked unusually sombre. "All sorts of shit mate. You don't want to know. Believe me."

"Aelius- just tell me. I can't let her walk out there unprepared." I stared frankly at him, steeling myself again.

"We don't even know ourselves- Scorpius and Lys have gone back to check it out-"

My eyes narrowed. Gone back where to check what out? What were they even talking about? I waited anxiously for one of them to expand, but none of them seemed willing to come forward first.

"Teddy, they're saying she's been with you since the start of the year- that she cheated on Zabini all along. That she tried to have him kicked off as Captain to help you and only came forward when your Captaincy was threatened. They're saying it proves all along that she never wanted Slytherin."

I swallowed. We'd expected that. It didn't clarify what Booth had gone to check.

Rose looked like she was going to cry. "It probably isn't true Ted. Just rumours, you know?"

I nodded jerkily, still waiting.

Craig sighed. "They trashed her dorm mate. All her clothes, all her belongings are ruined. Every Slytherin in Duelling Club has pulled out bar maybe one or two. They're all talking like she has an X on her back, mate. Like it's open season."

I sagged in my seat, running my hands over my face and trying to imagine a way to tell her this. Why were Slytherins such fucking assholes? Suddenly I was so angry I could have hit someone. What the fuck gave them the right to tell her how to live? Even if they were right- even if she had wanted Gryffindor- so fucking what? They were just so- so-

Assholes.

"Did you hear me, Vic?"

I knew she hadn't gotten any sleep again last night, and this morning she had to go back to class. It had been confirmed now. Things really were that bad and I had had to tell her. She couldn't go back out there not knowing. And she couldn't stay in here either. Merlin how I wanted to keep her in a cocoon from the world and never ever tell her what anyone was saying- but if McGonagall came looking and found her here, things would only be worse.

She blinked, looking pale and unsettled and very, very rattled. "Yeah. I heard you. Who did you hear it from?"

Unsure of whether she wanted me to reach for her or not, I stayed put, standing at the end of the bed as she stared unseeingly at the sheets.

"One of the other girls in your dorm told Lys." I responded vaguely, waiting for the tears and the tantrums. But… nothing.

"Nessa?" She smiled wanly, a cold smile that didn't extend to her eyes. And then she took a shaky deep breath. "Teddy. I don't know how things are going to work out. I… I thought when it came out I'd be able… I thought I had Bursnell on tap but- fuck."

I practically ran to her; wrapping arms around her cold, perfect body and murmuring support. "It's fine. It's all going to be fine. You have me. And Lys. And Nott and Scorpius- and all my friends love you."

She sighed into me, clutching my arms and doing her best not to cry again. And we stayed like that for a while, until she disentangled herself from me slowly. "Can you get Rose please?"

VICTOIRE:

"Thanks Rose. It'll be fine." I cut across her apologies and ramblings over the state of her make-up. But as I pieced through the motley collection she'd dumped on Teddy's bed, I recognised a lot of it as belonging to me anyways. Which meant she'd got it from Dom. I swallowed, realising with a horrible jolt that my sister and brother had probably heard everything that was circulating about me too. I'd included them in my mess; all because I was so arrogant that I thought I could control everyone and everything. God.

I lifted a shaky hand and began applying my make-up. The familiar routine of it was weirdly soothing. I'd done the same thing every morning for the past five years and I would be doing it for much longer. I'd be out of this stupid school in a year and have everything I'd ever wanted. I just had to get through the next few weeks. They'd be shit- but I was strong enough. I had to be.

"What are you going to do?" Rose asked quietly.

I teased my hair into a high ponytail, pulling tendrils loose and applying more clear lipgloss to my lips.

"I'm going to go assess the damage. I can't hide in here forever."

My words sounded empty even to me. Could she see? I wondered. Could she tell that my heart was pounding so hard in my chest that I thought I was going to get sick? That I could hear the blood pumping in my ears and dreading the moment I had to leave this room to the point at which I was almost paralysed by fear?

But no, I mused, watching my hands carefully and calmly apply mascara and surveying my reflecting in the mirror. I looked cool and collected. Indifferent. Unfeeling.

I wished that I actually was.

Their Common Room fell horribly quiet as I walked in and I did everything that I could not to crumble and call out for Teddy. He said he'd wait for me. He'd promised he wouldn't go down without me. And then suddenly he was there- his arm around my shoulder, a small smile on his face like he was genuinely pleased to see me. He probably was. Probably fantastically relieved that the sobbing, depressed mess had finally left his room. I squeezed his hand for reassurance as we walked through the crowds of people open-mouthed staring at us.

"I'm… I'm going to my dorm now. I need my uniform." I barely whispered the words as we finally escaped the Gryffindor Common Rooms. He peered anxiously down at me.

"Okay. Do you want me to come? I could-"

"No. It'll be worse if you're there and anyways- I need to be able to go places alone."

He nodded, still looking worried. But he kissed me sweetly and promised to wait for me outside Potions; watching me leave with a frown.

Once I was away from him I raced to the nearest bathrooms, locking myself in a cubicle and placing my face against the cool tile and willing myself not to cry. If you cry, you'll ruin your make-up and everyone will know. Do not cry. Do not cry. Everything is fine. Cass was a wanker anyways so who care if he hates you? You hate him.

But still, even still- I could not believe it. He was the first person to see me as someone more. The first person to think everyone was crazy for not worshipping me. He was supposed to have seen me for being something more than a Gryffindor or a Slytherin or even good-looking or ugly- he was supposed to have seen me. And he clearly never had. It was all just an act or he could never have done what he had. He could never have lied about it. It had happened before we were even having problems, for fuck's sake. Back when I'd loved him completely. Back when he was insisting Burnsell was his friend and he wouldn't just drop her because his girlfriend said so. I had always simultaneously hated and admired him for that. I had thought it made him more than all the other idiots in our year, better somehow. Better even than me. He wasn't pretending like we all were. He stood by what he thought and believed. Even if it was stupid and wrong.

But I knew better now. He wasn't noble or valiant or loyal. He was faker than any of them and I should have known it. You don't rise to popularity in Slytherin unless you know how to play the game and he played it like a fucking pro. He'd played me. There was no denying that. And while I fucking loathed his guts, I couldn't help but feel sad for what I'd actually lost. The boy I'd thought he was; the boy who choked on his lemonade at Madame Pudifoots on our first date. Not the boy who slept with Bursnell and lied about it ten months later.

And now this. Now I was right back in third year only worse. Because everyone hated me, and not just Bursnell's crew.

You're not a third year anymore, I reminded myself; picking myself of the floor with a sense of sickening dread.

You're the real thing.

You're not a stupid third year playing dress up.

As I stared at the mess of my room, I had to face the stark reality.

Neither was she.

Books were ripped apart and torn to shreds. My blankets had red paint sloshed over them like bloodstains. All of my clothes had met similar treatment; my trunk was strewn open and it's contents slashed at and smeared with the same red paint.

Scarlet.

Gryffindor red.

Over my bed hung a scarlet and gold banner; the lion looking down at me with an completely un-lion-like look. Fear? Probably. It was painted by one of them.

I blinked quickly, glad that I had chosen to be late for Potions and sneak in here after everyone had left for class. I couldn't have faced seeing this under scrutiny. Staring at the collection of familiar things, comforting things so vandalised and mutilated made bile rise in my throat. Spotting a picture of my mother and father and me at some dinner that had been scribbled over in red ink; I had to redouble my efforts not to cry. Thumbing the frame tentatively, I read the inscription.

"Go home Weasley. No blood-traitors allowed."

My breath caught. That was far. Talk like that was not tolerated at Hogwarts- at all. It pretty much was a expulsion order for whoever had written it. But that would require me coming forward and admitting it had happened and then enduring the subsequent witch-hunt for the culprit which at this point could be anyone in my entire House.

I sank onto my bed; feeling like an alien in my own dorm. It wasn't mine anymore. It didn't feel homely or safe or in any way belonging to me. It was like a horrible memory that I wanted to run away from as fast as I could only I had nowhere to run.

It wasn't a memory. It was real life. I was sitting there alone, more alone than I could remember being in quite some time; and no matter how much I tried to blink it away; the scene didn't change.

Once the tears started falling I couldn't stop them.

I walked in a daze from the room, dropping the photo in my hands to the floor numbly as I walked. I didn't know where I was going, but I wasn't staying here. I was in such disorientation that I barely noticed McGonagall until I had crashed into her. Surprisingly, she didn't yell or give me that stern look. And as soon as I realised that she was in my common room, not screaming blue murder about my missing potions, but rather giving me a solemn, not unkind look; my stomach hit the floor for the second time that day.

Because she knew.

"Come with me Ms Weasley. I think we need to talk."

"And you have no idea who could have done it?"

She purveyed me sternly, eyeing me in a manner that had me utterly convinced she didn't believe I word I was spewing. The Headmaster's portraits lining the walls gave off a similar impression. Some of the kindly looking females were giving me sympathising expressions. The males just looked incredulous, wondering why on earth I was being dim enough to protect whoever had done something so shitty.

I narrowed my eyes at them irritably. Because it's pretty fucking humiliating to admit that somehow you are horrible enough for an entire fucking house of students to hate you, alright? I wanted to scream. To throw things. To grab one of these large oaken leather-bound chairs and smash it through the large glass stained window behind McGonagall.

Instead I smiled demurely, smothering up all the words I wanted to hurl at her. "No professor."

"And your roommates saw nothing?" She deadpanned; confirming that she thought I was full of shit but felt sorry for me so wasn't going to say anything.

I nodded meekly.

"Well, the house elves who discovered the damage reported it Sunday morning, Ms Weasley. We've been trying to locate you since. Where have you been sleeping? In the dorm?"

Was she retarded? Did she not appreciate the likelihood of being stabbed in her sleep if she'd stayed?

"No, I stayed in the Gryffindor dorms."

"With your sister." McGonagall again deadpanned in a voice that was more a statement than a question.

"Yes. Naturally."

McGonagall frowned; crossing her arms over her chest as she examined me carefully. "Ms Weasley… I hope you understand how troubling I find some of the content we found in your room. It doesn't seem to be an act of random aggression. Are you sure there is no one you have had any difficulties with?"

Yes professor. I've recently been having difficulties with my ex because the boy I am seeing now has two deceased parents who were aurors and war heroes, whilst my ex's parents are merely incarcerated and death-eaters. They also have quidditch related animosity, and it's all been heightened by the fact that I am besotted with my new boy and my ex is jealous. Not that he should be because he recently revealed that he cheated on me with my arch nemesis, who bullied me through my first three years at school and whom I've been in various stages of blackmailing for the past three months. However my hold over her is now entirely void and she wants revenge for having ever usurped her in the first place and probably instigated the whole "trash Victoire's room" with the assistance of the afore-mentioned ex. Oh, and he has some new girlfriend who may or may not be recruiting death-eater wannabe's and could have also been involved in instigating the debacle.

"No, Professor. No one I can think of."

She sighed. "Ms Weasley, you cannot protect whoever is responsible. You understand, switching dorms or moving house- it isn't possible. So we need to get this sorted. I am going to ask you one more time if you feel you can sort this alone; and I want the honest truth. We are here to help."

The only twinge of hope that I had held onto was extinguished.

"You… there's no way I can change house? Not even now?"

"Hogwarts rules are absolute. Students are assigned to their house permanently. No exceptions." She looked slightly sad to say it though.

"Are you sure you know nothing?" She asked again, looking slightly helpless.

I steeled myself. It was one year. Not even- half a year really. I would get head girl. If it killed me, I would get it.

"I'm sure."

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, it felt like an impossible weight set on my shoulders. Like I'd signed my own death warrant.

She closed her eyes for a moment. "Very well. Your parents are outside and wish to speak with you."

"My Parents?" I whispered in growing horror.

"-completely unacceptable! Completely! And nothing is going to be done?"

I watched my dad rant for a few more minutes as McGonagall sat in equally impassive silence, her eyes sometimes sliding to observe me before turning back to him and murmuring some sort of agreement or soothing remark. My mother sat on the other side of me, far more silent than my father but twice as foreboding. Her icy anger radiated from her wordlessly; perforating the room and galvanising on my dad. I felt trapped. And humiliated. They were going to want answers. Answers that it would kill me to give them. They had no idea and I'd never wanted them to.

"Excuse me, Professor. A word with our daughter please."

Her dad finally came to a finish or had run out of things to say to the headmistress at least; and McGonagall rose with a sharp nod. "Naturally."

Once the heavy wooden door had closed behind McGonagall and the loud clatter of her heels against the stone floor of the stairs had faded, my parents turned to me, my mother taking control for the first time since they had been ushered wide eyed into the office.

"Victoire. What is 'appening? Speak to us." She implored me with her soft accent and big eyes and my stomach coiled. Even just being with my mother; smelling her musky perfume and feeling her soft hands stroking my hair made me so intensely homesick. So hungry for an actual home where I was happy and safe and didn't have to worry about any of this. I wanted to let her take care of me. I wanted to stop having to do it myself. I was making a mess of it.

"Mama. I've fucked up so horribly." I whispered, my voice breaking slightly as my dad squeezed my hand and she leaned in to kiss my cheek. He even ignored the fact that I'd cursed which usually drove him berserk.

"'ow? What ees going on?" She coaxed, her soft voice pleading and reassuring all at once.

"I- I broke up with Cass and- I fought with the girls and- now everyone hates me." I bit my lip. They seemed to be listening to me though; not pressing for more than I was willing to give.

"Oh, non. Girls can be cruel. Especially British girls, I 'ave always said this. They are jealous, jealous because they are pale and their teeth are funny-"

Dad cut across her before she could really get going on the shortcomings of the female British public. He pulled me into him, wrapping an arm over my shoulder and sighing. "Is that all this is Vic? Catty girls and boy troubles?"

When he put it like that, it sounded unreasonably petty. But that was only the simplified version of it. The version I'd given them. Even if it still... kind of surmised the more complicated version. But he sounded doubtful and I wasn't surprised. He knew me better than to think I'd be rattled by silly girls and Cass acting up. I think he knew this was bigger. Even mum seemed to have realised it.

I sighed, mumbling into his shoulder somewhat. "I don't know what it is. I don't think I can..."

"You don't think what, kiddo?" He pulled back, looking me dead on as my mum squeezed my other hand.

"I don't think I can go back to that dorm Dad. But McGonagall says the rules-"

My mum made a hissing noise in the back of her throat; sounding very much like a pissed cat. "Fuck de rules, non? They do not have such silly stooped British rules at Beauxbaton."

I eyed her for a moment.

No.

Teddy was here.

Lys.

I wouldn't be driven out.

She squeezed; my hand sensing my reluctance. "Ee's an option. That's all, oui?"

Dad swallowed. "That's all, kiddo. We just want you to know that if things get too much- you aren't stuck here. But I think you're right. Give it a try- see can you make up with the girls. They might know they've gone too far now."

They haven't even started.