Victoire Weasley fancied her mother wouldn’t be pleased with the way her daughter was screaming herself hoarse. But really! The outcome of this Quidditch match would determine whether Gryffindor remained in the running. It was the last game before Christmas break. And it was against Slytherin.

All were perfectly good reasons, Victoire believed, for her to jump up and down every time the Chasers scored. The Gryffindor and Slytherin Seekers had just raced neck and neck for a Snitch that evaded them once again when Victoire felt a tap on her shoulder.

“No matter how tightly you clench your fingers to your face, it won’t make Mulholland fly any faster.�

Victoire smiled brilliantly at the vocalizer of such bitter scorn, her eyes wide in surprise. “Teddy! How could I not know you were behind me this whole time?�

Teddy Lupin grinned in a mischievous way that made Victoire’s heart skip a beat. “I came a bit late. And you were so into the game I just couldn’t bear to distract you until now.�

“You certainly would’ve done that.� Victoire reached up and flipped a lock of Teddy’s hair – which he’d grown out to accentuate the flamboyance of its scarlet and gold stripes – over his shoulder.

“Victoire! Look!� Victoire’s friend Tina nudged Victoire hard until she turned back around. The Gryffindor Seeker had suddenly made a steep dive, the Slytherin Seeker close behind.

“Oh! Oh! Oh!� Victoire put her hands to her face, then remembered Teddy’s mockery and clutched them together instead. “Come on, come on!�

Mulholland pulled out of the dive, her fist clenched around the Snitch.

The crowd went wild.

Victoire was laughing with delight as she hugged Tina, who was yelling at the top of her lungs. Then Victoire turned around to throw her arms around Teddy – all in the spirit of Gryffindor’s victory of course – and her laugh died.

Some blonde hussy had gotten there first, her arms wrapped so tightly around her Teddy that Victoire couldn’t even see who it was. Only when she pulled her face back enough to give Teddy a triumphant kiss on the cheek did Victoire recognize her.

Erin Connelly. Oh, Victoire ha – well, she actually tried really hard not to hate her. She’d been spending a lot of time around Teddy lately, and since Victoire tried to do the same, she’d attempted to look past the fact she was Irish, blonde, beautiful, and much more demanding of Teddy’s attention than Victoire was comfortable with. At the moment, though, Victoire did not have any charitable feelings whatsoever toward that particular young lady.

“Hey.� Tina was tugging on Victoire’s elbow. “You look like you are about to kill her. Or at least pry her off Teddy.�

“Don’t think I’m not thinking it,� Victoire whispered harshly, tearing her eyes away from the spectacle and looking down at her friend, whose eyes were brimming with sympathy for Victoire and irritation at Erin.

“Maybe we should just go back to the common room,� Tina said. “There’s sure to be a victory party and that’ll take your mind off things.�

Victoire was about to agree, then Erin said in her perky voice, “Come on, Teddy! Let’s go up to the victory party!�

“Well.� Tina did her best to pull on Victoire, who suddenly felt she’d like nothing better than to collapse on the bleacher and freeze to death. “We still have to go up anyway. It would be polite of us to stop in at the party, too. You don’t have to stay long enough to see anyone. Come along, or I’ll have to call for assistance.�

It was hard for Victoire not to smile. Tina was about two-thirds Victoire’s height, and slender as a twig. If Victoire continued to resist, Tina really would need to ask for help to get her anywhere. She decided it was better just to head toward the warmth of the indoors, despite her despondency.

“Besides,� Tina said conversationally, tucking her arm through Victoire’s elbow as they walked, “I don’t think you have anything to worry about.�

“What do you mean? Tina, did you see her?�

“I saw her. I’ve been seeing her. I’ve also seen you.�

“Me?� Victoire grumped. “So you’ve seen me spend the whole term try to woo Teddy and completely fail.�

“Yes, and had your commentary about it all year,� Tina remarked. “Longer than that. Victoire Weasley, I have been listening to you rant about Teddy Lupin from the day we met, six years ago. It was a nice change this year to finally hear you talk about wanting to get together with him instead of complaining that all you wanted was friendship and everyone that thought you were or should be dating ought to be...what was it again?�

“Fed to a Crumple-Horned Snorkack,� Victoire supplied, smiling in spite of herself.

“Whatever that is,� Tina said dismissively. “Anyway...I had a point...oh yes, you and Erin.�

“Do we need to talk about this? The sooner we stop discussing, the sooner I can forget everything I feel about – �

“No,� Tina interrupted firmly. “We’re on the subject anyway, we might as well continue. You and Teddy are best friends. You’ve been friends your whole life. Erin, on the other hand, hardly knows him at all. He doesn’t know her.�

“Is that supposed to be an advantage? He knows me so well he’s probably decided that we could never suit. Erin’s a new mysterious horizon. If I were him and she were after me like she is, I’d welcome her advances to get rid of mine – er – Victoire’s. If I were him. Does that make sense?�

“Logically, yes. Realistically, no.� Tina sighed in utter exasperation. “You are determined to be pessimistic about this, aren’t you?�

“Have you forgotten what he said? After the Halloween feast?� Victoire clasped her hands in front of her and recited bitterly, “‘Victoire, no one would ever think anything of seeing us alone together.’ That’s pretty telling.�

“Well, considering the Halloween feast was almost two months ago, I don’t think it’s a crime for me to devalue the significance of that particular quote,� Tina replied. “Besides, it was in response to your jab at his “reputation� if you went on a walk together, right? Maybe he was flustered by your teasing and had to dissemble in case you didn’t actually mean to be flirting – it’s hard to know with you, you know.�

“That’s what I tried to tell myself at the time,� Victoire admitted.

“Not only that, but it’s true,� Tina continued relentlessly, clearly pleased to have gained a concession. “Even if you wandered into the Great Hall holding hands, no one would think twice. We’ve been expecting it for years now.�

“Hmph,� Victoire said. “After all my hype for years about the impossibility of that scenario.�

Tina giggled. “So, you see, there’s nothing to worry about!� She skipped up the main staircase as if she had nary a care in the world.

Victoire pulled free before she was coerced into participating in such blithe motion. “Of course there is. This whole conversation you haven’t given any reasonable proof that I’m in no danger from Erin.�

“Nothing I say will convince you,� Tina said after a moment. “You have to decide yourself whether you’ll trust me or wallow in misery for a while before your own observations prove that Erin’s got nothing on you.�

“Except blonde hair.�

“Strawberry blonde is so much more attractive. You’re grasping at straws.�

“I still don’t want to go to the party and have my feelings confirmed. ‘I told you so’ is not always gratifying.� Victoire was determined to stick to this. By this point, all she wanted was to go to sleep.

Once they got to the Gryffindor common room, though, it was clear that they wouldn’t be able to just sneak through the party. As soon as the Fat Lady’s portrait swung open, a reveler near the door spotted them and pulled them in.

“Where have you girls been?� It was Teddy’s friend and fellow seventh-year Gryffindor, Seth. “I was just thinking about how you hadn’t shown up.�

“Victoire had to be forcibly dissuaded from her new-found aspiration to be an icicle,� Tina informed him matter-of-factly.

“Oh, really, Tina.� Victoire rolled her eyes.

“What? I’m not exaggerating!� Tina looked up at Seth, her eyes wide-eyed and innocent. “I had to pull her.�

“You pulled her.� Seth couldn’t keep from grinning at Tina. “No wonder you were late. I’m impressed you made it here before curfew.�

Tina pouted. “Your confidence in my strength is really inspiring, Seth.�

“Oh. Hey, sorry.� He reached out to pat her arm. “I didn’t mean – holy Helga, you’re cold!�

Victoire was about to make an amused remark about his choice of exclamation when her mouth dropped open: Seth had slid his hand down Tina’s arm to her hand and was chafing the frigid appendage.

“You can blame Victoire,� Tina said quietly, as if talking too loud would cause him to let go of her. “She really didn’t want to come in for a while.�

“Why on earth not?� Seth asked, sending a shocked glance Victoire’s way. She glared back.

“Guess,� Tina replied coyly. “You’ll get it right first try.�

“All right, that’s it,� Victoire said finally. “If you’re going to keep talking about me like this, I’m just going to bed.�

“Good night,� Tina said absentmindedly.

Victoire turned away, a bemused smile on her face. She’d hardly made it three steps toward the girls’ staircase before someone called her name and the smile fell right off her face.

“Victoire! Victoire, I’ve been looking for you.�

“Hey, Teddy.� She made a valiant effort to put that slippery smile back.

Teddy bounded toward her, grinning. “What do you think?� he said conspiratorially.

“What are you talking about?�

He nodded behind her, where a quick glance revealed Seth and Tina standing awkwardly far from each other and not making much conversation – something completely out of character for both of them, outgoing as they were.

“Oh.� The sight of them made Victoire smile again. “I’ll be interested to see how that plays out.�

“Definitely. They might require some help, though.� Teddy leaned close to Victoire; she reminded herself to breathe. “Are you in?�

“You have to ask?� Victoire replied, tossing her head. “Of course. I’m right there with you, partner.� She raised her eyebrows. “Partner in crime.�

Teddy laughed and tweaked Victoire’s nose; she batted his hand away. “I told you not to do that!� she scolded.

“I’ll do what I please, Miss Weasley,� he responded.

“Speaking of people getting together,� Victoire said, hating herself, “where’s Erin?�

“Erin?� Teddy’s face was clouded in confusion. “Oh, Erin!� He pointed. The little Irish girl was lounging in a chair next to the Quidditch Captain. “Wait, you thought she and – and me?�

“You’ve been spending a lot of time together,� Victoire hazarded, looking down demurely while her heart leapt.

“Oh, come on, Victoire. You, of all people, should know that doesn’t mean anything. I don’t feel anything for her.�

Victoire really disliked any comparison between herself and Erin, but hearing Teddy declare his apathy superseded that for the moment. However, when she glanced back towards Erin, the latter sent her a venomous glare. Apparently the lack of attachment wasn’t mutual. Not that she could bring herself to care.

“So...can I get you anything to eat or drink?� Teddy asked, changing the subject. “Something to get you feeling properly victorious?�

“Don’t say it...� Victoire warned, but Teddy never passed up this opportunity, and tonight certainly wasn’t any exception.

“It’s not a victory party without Victoire feeling victorious, I always say,� Teddy finished smugly, reaching out to tweak her nose again.

“Butterbeer, perhaps,� she said, nimbly evading his fingers. “I’m still thawing from Tina’s and my sojourn through the chill.�

“Certainly, madam.� Teddy bowed and darted off. Victoire smiled sadly. It was no wonder everyone thought their eventual relationship was a given. Maybe Teddy was the only one that didn’t know that yet. Well, Victoire could try and do something about that.

“May I lead you to a seat?� Teddy had returned, a glass of butterbeer in his hand.

“Thank you.� Victoire pressed herself a tad closer to him than usual and clung just a bit longer when he deposited her in her chair. “Come sit?� She scooted over to show that there was room for both of them.

He quirked his brow incredulously. “I still haven’t forgotten fourth year, when I tried that and you spilled your drink all over me. The floor will be fine. Or, better yet, the arm. That’s above the spill zone.�

Blast, Victoire thought. Still, if he was above her she could look through her eyelashes at him, and she knew how alluring that was.

For a few minutes Victoire simply sat and sipped her butterbeer, occasionally employing subtle veela tricks as she and Teddy talked about their plans for Christmas. She was very pleased to hear him say that he would, of course, be attending the Potters’ annual party.

The music that had been playing in the background suddenly increased in volume just as an old Celestina Warbeck Christmas classic began. Students all around the room were standing up to dance.

“Well, would you care to join me?� Teddy asked Victoire, completely surprising her.

“I thought you didn’t like to dance,� she replied, accepting his offered hand and standing. Her veela tricks must have worked.

“Well, it’s my last Christmas at Hogwarts,� Teddy said, his eyes a little bit sad.

“Oh, right.� Victoire patted his shoulder, then left her hand there as they began dancing. “It will sure be weird next year with you gone.�

Teddy nodded and pulled Victoire infinitesimally closer. He didn’t seem to have done it on purpose, and really it was so small he probably didn’t notice he’d done it, but Victoire noticed. Emboldened, she moved her leg back then forward again, swiveling slightly in a dampened version of a veela dance.

“Look,� Teddy said, not even watching Victoire.

“What?� she whispered, irritated that her efforts were going unnoticed.

“They’re dancing,� Teddy replied, lifting his hand from her back so he could turn her chin in the correct direction.

It was comical, really. Seth was a few inches taller than Victoire, and Tina couldn’t even reach his shoulder. He was hunched over so their clasped hands weren’t so high she had to be on her tiptoes while she held on to his elbow. Neither of them were looking at each other, seemingly more interested in their feet or anybody else in the room.

While Victoire was turning her head back around, a couple of boys caught her eye. They were staring avidly and one – she knew she’d seen him before but couldn’t recall his name – winked rakishly at her. She looked away quickly, glancing up at Teddy. He was still watching Seth and Tina, his brow furrowed.

“I think it’s time for my hair to change back,� he said thoughtfully.

“Oh?� Victoire had been expecting him to say something about the couple he was watching. The change of subject disconcerted her and she missed a step.

“Might as well keep with the Christmas spirit, though,� Teddy continued. As he spoke, his hair shortened to his preferred length just at his ears, the scarlet deepened to a more brick red, and forest green stripes appeared between the red and gold. “What do you think?�

Victoire eyed him. “You look ridiculous.�

“What a thing to say!� Teddy looked down at her, incredulous, then snapped his eyes away.

Why won’t he look at me? Victoire wondered desperately, deeply hurt. Things had been going so well before she started...dancing....

Abruptly, Victoire stood stock still, removing her hand from Teddy’s shoulder. “Perhaps you could tone the Christmas spirit down a bit,� she said, trying to sound normal. “Mostly green with just hints of red and gold.�

“Good idea,� Teddy said as the music died down and the students restarted more exciting activities. He smiled at her and popped his hair to the colors she suggested. “I’m going to go grab a snack. Want one?�

“No, thanks,� Victoire replied, returning his smile. She wanted a moment to herself to think about what had just happened. He’d seemed almost angry. She couldn’t understand why. If anything, she had a right to be angry. What was the point of dancing seductively if he wouldn’t even watch?

“Hey there.� The boy who’d winked at her earlier had sidled next to her. “How’s it going?�

Victoire glanced at him but didn’t respond.

“Don’t you have anything to say?� the boy asked, sliding his arm around her shoulders.

“I don’t even know you!� she replied hotly, removing herself from his grasp.

“The name’s Rand.� He smirked and stepped toward her. “But don’t worry; we can get to know each other very fast, and you don’t have to do any talking if you don’t want.� His smirk grew into a leer and he stepped even closer.

“What? Get away from me!� Victoire backed as far from him as she could, but he kept coming.

“Oh, baby, you can’t dance like that and not want something for it!�

“I want you to leave me alone,� Victoire said firmly, stopping her retreat before she tripped over something. “Now.�

“You don’t mean that,� Rand started, but Victoire’s wand suddenly in his face halted his retort.

“Yes. I do,� Victoire assured him. “My daddy’s a curse-breaker for Gringotts and he taught me some great tricks for getting rid of people. I would not hesitate to practice on you. Unless you go away this second.�

“Fine,� Rand muttered, turning and making a quick exit. “Just being friendly, anyway,� Victoire heard as he headed toward the boys’ dormitory.

Victoire stashed her wand back in her robes just as Teddy came back.

“Hey,� she said, smiling up at him. “Looks like you found yourself a chocolate tart. Mind if I try a bite?�

“You said you didn’t want anything!� Teddy reprimanded her, holding his tart out of reach and even morphing his arm a little longer so she had no chance. “No bites for you!�

Victoire pouted and turned away from Teddy, pretending to be deeply hurt. As she did so, she wondered if he’d seen what had just happened with that jerk Rand.

“Not the pouty face,� Teddy lamented. “All right, Victoire; here.�

She turned back in surprise; he’d broken off a small piece of tart and was holding it to her, a placatory look on his face.

“Thanks,� she said, smiling as she plucked the piece from his fingers and popped it delicately into her mouth. It was hard to tell if he’d seen her interactions with Rand; there was a little bit of anger hidden in his eyes, and the slightly stiff way he held his hand, as if he was actively keeping it from forming into a fist. But he could still be miffed at her for her dancing – which, if he was, Victoire thought he should say something. He remained silent on the subject, though, and Victoire was content enough to talk about the pros and cons of different kinds of tarts until she was yawning too often to finish a sentence.

“You were going to go to bed hours ago,� Teddy said finally, glancing at his watch. “Sorry for keeping you up.�

“Oh!� Victoire grabbed his arm to illustrate her sincerity. “That was before I knew that I’d get to spend the evening with you! I’ve missed nights like this. They’ve been few and far between this year.�

“N.E.W.T. classes,� Teddy agreed solemnly. “Not to mention the near impossibility of evading the clutches of certain Irish beauties.�

Victoire giggled. “It’s a wonder we’ve spent any time together,� she said, knowing that every situation where they had had been carefully engineered by herself and Tina.

“Go ahead and sleep,� Teddy said, crooking his finger to beckon her closer. “And start brainstorming ideas to keep our mutual friends together longer than one dance.�

“Oh, right!� In all the hoopla about Victoire’s dancing, she’d forgotten about Tina and Seth. She craned her neck quickly and saw them on opposite sides of the room, each animatedly chatting with other people, but intercepting glances from the other every so often. “You’d think they’d both be less shy about this.�

“Ah, there’s no explaining love,� Teddy said airily.

“Now there is truth,� Victoire replied, looking down at her feet instead of being brave enough to look Teddy in the eye. “Good night.�

“‘Night.� Teddy caught her nose in one more tweak before he gave her one last smile as she headed up to bed.

Victoire wasn’t at all sure she would sleep. Still, she lay in bed and just thought about how the evening had turned out so differently than she’d expected. She had more hope than she’d ever allowed herself to have. He’d sought out her company, told her once and for all there was no chance with Erin, asked her to dance, and enlisted her in the cause of Seth and Tina.

Speaking of...the dormitory door opened, very quietly.

“Victoire?� Tina whispered.

“Yeah?�

“Sometimes ‘I told you so’ is very gratifying.�

“Darling, I disagree with you.�

“See, Daddy?� Victoire held her arms out wide. “Mama thinks it’s just fine.�

Daddy folded his arms and gave Victoire a stern look. She turned to look at herself in the mirror again. “There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s not too low-cut, high-cut, tight, or transparent.�

“One could argue that it was all of those things,� Daddy said, but Mama laid her hand on his arm.

“Dearest, now you are being silly. When we bought it for her last Christmas you thought it was just fine.�

“She wasn’t wearing it then.�

“We’re going to be late,� Victoire reminded her parents. “To the family party, I might add.�

“Yes, it is only going to be family there!� Mama said, flashing a grateful look at her daughter. “Why are you so worried?�

Daddy appeared to be defeated, but then came up with one last protest. “Well, Teddy is going to be there.�

For once Victoire was glad that she had her usual retort to that. “Daddy. We’ve been nothing but best friends since I was born. We practically are family. You’ve got nothing to worry about where Teddy’s concerned.� That much was true, at least.

“All right, then!� Mama said, ushering Daddy out the door. “Now let’s go before we’re too late!�

“There’s no such thing as too late,� Daddy said, holding his hand out for Victoire to take. “We’ll get there before Ron, at least.�

When they whisked through the Fireplace to the Potters’, Uncle Harry was there to greet them and take their soot-proof cloaks.

“How are you doing, Bill?� he asked, shaking Daddy’s hand.

“Quite well, thank you,� Daddy replied. “Yourself?�

“A bit harried,� Uncle Harry admitted with a grin. Victoire laughed out loud.

“Victoire!� he said, looking at her properly for the first time. “You look more like your beautiful mother every day.�

“Oh, Harry,� Mama said, kissing him on the cheek before sweeping away with Daddy to greet everyone else.

“Thanks, Uncle Harry,� Victoire said, kissing him as well. “Where’s the kids?�

“Downstairs, out of the way,� he told her. “It’s an absolute madhouse; they’re so excited for Christmas.�

“Can you blame them?� Victoire said, grinning.

“Don’t stay down there all night,� Uncle Harry said. “Your other aunts and uncles will want to spend time with you as much as their kids do.�

“Okay.� Victoire headed on downstairs.

“Yay, she’s here!� Rose ran up and grabbed her hand. Lily raced over to grab her other hand.

“Hello, girls.� Victoire beamed at her little cousins. “What’s going on?�

“We were waiting for you to arrive,� Lily told her matter-of-factly. “Before you got here we made ornaments and gingerbread houses – �

“Can you enchant them, Victoire? Please?�

“Sure,� Victoire said, tweaking Rose’s nose – she seemed to have picked up bad habits from Teddy.

“ – and,� Lily said, looking cross at the interruption, “we kidnapped Teddy.�

“Oh yeah. That’ll be the best part of the party!� Rose and Lily giggled together.

“What?� Victoire asked, completely confused. They’d kidnapped Teddy? For what purpose?

“Go tell the boys to bring him in,� Rose said in that superior, “I’m older than you so you must do what I say� sort of voice.

“Okay.� Lily went over to the outside door and hollered, “James! Hugo! Albus! Bring him in!�

“Coming!� came a chorus of young voices.

Teddy didn’t bear any of the characteristics of a normal kidnapped person that Victoire could see. In fact, he was the one carrying Hugo in, plopping him in front of the fire before tousling the hair of the Potter boys.

“Hey there, Victoire,� he said, grinning in that irresistible way. “You look nice.�

“Thanks. You look cold,� she observed.

“We’ll warm up quick, won’t we, boys?�

“But first!� Rose clapped her hands authoritatively. “Remember?�

“Oh yeah.� James and Albus looked distinctly disappointed at whatever it was, but Hugo beamed.

“Teddy, you need to come stand here,� Lily said, pulling him over to her desired spot.

“Victoire, go stand by him,� Rose prompted.

“Do you know what’s going on?� Teddy asked her as she approached.

“Maybe they’ve put on a show for us,� Victoire replied, shrugging. “Sort of like last Christmas.�

“But last Christmas they did it for everyone.�

“Be quiet!� Lily said, and Victoire and Teddy turned toward her.

“No, don’t look at us!� Hugo said, brimming over with glee. “Look up!�

“Hugo!� said Rose and Lily, irritated.

Victoire looked up and her heart stopped. There was no mistaking the signature white berries. She glanced at Teddy, who looked as stricken as she felt.

“Guess we’re providing the show tonight,� she said, trying to lighten the mood.

“I hope they take the disappointment well,� he replied.

“Oh, you’re not going to kiss me?� Victoire asked, allowing some of her real distress come through her face and voice. “That is disappointing. They went to all that effort to kidnap you and you won’t even kiss me.�

“Kidnap me? They didn’t kidnap me.�

Victoire looked askance at Rose and Lily, who looked guilty and also rather sad.

“Aw, Teddy, look,� Victoire said, beginning to feel worse for the girls than she did for herself. “They really are disappointed.�

Teddy watched the children for a minute, his eyes softening in sympathy. “I suppose they did sort of force me to go play in the snow with the boys,� he conceded. “That sort of counts as kidnapping.�

“But you won’t kiss me anyway,� Victoire responded, not sure why she hadn’t reached up and fulfilled the purpose of mistletoe by now. Before this year, it would have been just a joke to both of them and they’d have gotten it over with by this point. Now, though, everything was strange and wrong.

“I never said that,� Teddy said, looking from the kids to her face. “It’s just, well...�

Victoire raised her eyebrows expectantly, beginning to feel a little better.

“They seem to be expecting something wonderful and magical to happen, and, well, it won’t,� Teddy finished, his brow furrowed apologetically.

“Ah, I see.� Victoire half smiled.

“Just kiss!� Rose burst out before turning red and hiding her face behind her hands.

They laughed; Teddy leaned closer to her and Victoire’s eyes fluttered shut. This was it. Of course, she’d preferred not to have argued about whether or not he was actually going to kiss her, and the whole thing still had an air of coercion about it, but she tried not to let that matter. The important thing was, she told herself, was that she was getting kissed by Teddy.

Only, he wasn’t kissing her. He was whispering to her instead. “You won’t...you won’t take this to mean anything it doesn’t, will you?�

Victoire was about to ask what on earth he meant when his mouth covered hers, just for a fraction of a second. Teddy stood away from her then, his face going ever so slightly red. Both of them turned toward the kids.

Lily and Rose were smiling to themselves, James and Albus were looking determinedly elsewhere, and Hugo was staring in disbelief.

“Why aren’t you toads?� he demanded, shaking his little fist. “When you kiss under the missle-toad that’s what’s supposed to happen!�

“Who told you that?� Victoire asked, shocked.

“It’s obvious, isn’t it?� Hugo said. “The word ‘toad’ is in the name of the plant!�

The entire room exploded in laughter and Rose took her little brother aside to explain how spelling made a big difference in what words meant.

“I guess our show was a bit of a let down after all,� Victoire said, forcing herself to look at Teddy and grin.

“We could fix that,� Teddy said. “You’d make a right pretty toad.� He waved his wand at her.

“Don’t you point that thing at me,� Victoire said, putting up her hand as if it would ward a Transfiguration spell. “Besides, toads aren’t pretty.�

“You’d make a pretty cockroach, Vic,� Teddy informed her.

“Ew,� Rose said matter-of-factly. “Don’t turn her into a cockroach, Teddy.�

“Yeah, because cockroaches can’t play Exploding Snap, and Victoire’s going to play with us, right, Victoire?� James said, digging in the game cupboard.

Before Victoire could respond, a voice floated down from upstairs. “Victoire! Teddy! Come on up, please!�

“Sorry, kids,� Teddy said, bowing for Victoire to head up the stairs before him. “Maybe after the grownups are done being all grown-up we can come back down, okay?�

“Okay.�

Victoire almost turned around to watch Teddy as they ascended together, but changed her mind at the last minute and had to pretend she was tossing her hair to account for her sudden head movement. She was still really confused about what he’d said under the mistletoe. Well, really! He appeared to have made it quite clear that he only kissed her because he’d been under compulsion. What else would Victoire even think it meant?

She was determined not to count that forced kiss. Obviously it was nothing to Teddy, so she should just shut her dreams up and work on making him want to give her a kiss that meant something.

“There you are!� Daddy was waiting on the landing. “Sorry to steal you away so soon, but we were all talking about you and thought you ought to at least be there to defend yourselves.�

“Thank you, Bill,� Teddy said. “I hope to clear my reputation admirably.�

“You mustn’t forget that we all have to stare at you and talk about how much like your parents you look,� Victoire reminded him, smiling slightly.

“We might have gotten over that, after all these years,� Daddy began, but then they walked into the parlor where the adults were sitting.

The first thing Aunt Hermione said was, “All right, Teddy, stand where we can all see you.�

Victoire smirked at Daddy. “Guess not,� she whispered.

“Don’t sit down, Victoire, you’re next,� Aunt Ginny called. “We already trotted out all the little kiddies like prize calves.�

“He looks more like his father every time I see him,� Hermione mused, following tradition almost to the letter. “Look at his eyes, and his stature.�

“Yes, but there’s his mother in him too,� Ron added, just as he always did.

The room was silent for a minute. Teddy turned to look at Victoire, and soon everyone else did as well.

“Oh, were you waiting for me to say something?� she asked innocently. “Just like I say every single year?�

“Wouldst thou leave me undefended?� Teddy responded, putting his hand to his heart and crumpling his face.

“I think he looks like himself,� Victoire said in a rush. “More like himself every single day. Every time I see him, I think, oh look, there’s Teddy Lupin, he looks so much like himself I can hardly believe it.�

As she was speaking, Teddy was morphing into someone else. This was the one part of the (rather silly, Victoire thought) tradition that came under any variation. Nobody ever knew who he would change into, though they tended to place bets all the same.

Uncle Ron whooped; standing in the center of the room was a very near replica of Victoire Weasley. ‘She’ smiled sweetly at the assembled audience. “I suppose you guessed right this year?� ‘she’ asked Ron in a surprisingly deep voice.

“Oh, look, I get out of my yearly inspection,� Victoire said elatedly. “Carry on with it, then. Ask that Victoire how she’s doing in school, her prospects, et cetera. I’m very interested in the answers myself.� She took a seat, raising her eyebrows at the person in the center of the room.

“Very well,� said Harry pleasantly, the corners of his mouth twitching. “How are N.E.W.T. classes treating you, er, Victoire?�

“I’m still getting used to the immense workload,� the deep-voiced Victoire said, clasping ‘her’ hands like a damsel in distress. “If it weren’t for Teddy, I would never be passing Transfiguration. Oh, he’s my hero.� ‘She’ sighed gustily and swooned.

“Teddy certainly does have a handle on Transfiguration,� Ginny remarked casually. Everyone laughed and Teddy returned to his normal self.

“Your characterization was spot on,� Victoire told him as he came and sat next to her. “The only suggestion I would make is – �

“More gushing about Teddy, am I right?� he interrupted, grinning at her. “Thought as much.�

“Your vanity knows no bounds,� she informed him. “And you neglected to mention that, despite my being a year younger than you, I can still tutor you in Charms.�

“So...your prospects, Victoire!� Mama said. “How are they?� She was leaning forward in her seat and Victoire could tell that she was looking forward to whatever the answer was.

“Sorry, Mama,� Victoire said sadly. “I just wanted to see what Teddy would’ve said to that. I don’t really have anything to tell any of you.�

“Not even Teddy?� Ron mocked astonishment.

Victoire looked at her neighbor, which was a mistake – she immediately thought of what had happened downstairs – and blushed. “Haven’t you lot given up on that yet?� she exclaimed. “Just about everyone else has.� Except me, she added silently.

“We know; that’s why it’s funny to keep teasing you,� Daddy said.

“Ah yes, Victoire and I are just rolling around laughing over here,� Teddy remarked sardonically. “Actually, I’ll have you know – and Victoire can attest to this – I’ve recently been seen around with a certain Irish beauty, with hair as fair as corn silk.�

“Corn silk?� Victoire whispered, unable to keep a straight face.

“Hush,� Teddy told her, then raised his voice again to be heard by the group at large. “At any rate, perhaps it would behoove us to change the subject.�

“It’s about time for Christmas toasts, anyway,� Uncle Harry said. “I’ll call up the littles – brace yourselves.�

“You said you had no interest in Erin!� Victoire hissed accusingly under cover of the tramp of several children coming into the room. “It had better have been some sort of ruse, because otherwise I have got to have a talk with you about dating girls of a certain caliber.�

“Calm down, silly. I just said it so you’d stop looking so uncomfortable. Though you should probably find some guy to start dating so they stop teasing us. As long as I approve of him, of course.�

“Well, thank you. I do appreciate it. And I’ll think about it – the dating someone thing, I mean. Because ten years of teasing is really wearing on me.� Victoire pulled a face.

“Just make sure he’s a good one,� Teddy said, tweaking her nose.

He is, Victoire thought sadly. She only smiled, though, and accepted Rose into her lap.

“May I have everyone’s attention?� Harry said, clanging his glass. “Ginny’s handing around your butterbeers for the toast now. I’ve thought about it and everyone tell me if they disagree with this year’s toast: ‘To Family, Friends, and Love.’�

“You always make good toasts, Harry, no one’s about to disagree,� Ron said.

Victoire thought it was great. With her cousin Rose on her lap and her best friend Teddy by her side, she couldn’t have thought of a better one. And the smile that Teddy gave her as he raised his glass and chorused with the rest – “To Family, Friends, and Love� – well! It was really a pity there wasn’t more mistletoe around, because Victoire would have been very happy to utilize it.

Victoire was happy when school started again. N.E.W.T. classes were still doing their best to disarm her, but at Hogwarts it was much easier to socialize with her friends, and to find excuses to be around Teddy.

Tina had listened to Victoire’s account of the Christmas party with great interest, and her excuses for Teddy’s behavior were simply that he still didn’t know how Victoire felt, and didn’t want to make any moves.

“I think I’ve made my feelings pretty clear,� Victoire responded acerbically, fiddling with her pillow in annoyance. “I’m just going to keep trying in hopes that one day he’ll just – change his mind.�

“Something like that,� Tina said, rolling her eyes.

“Enough about me, tell me about your Christmas break!� Victoire said, grinning. “See anyone, do anything?�

“No, and went sledding with my little sister. She broke her wrist.�

“Oh, wonderful.� Victoire made a face.

“It’s all better now. But that was definitely the most exciting thing that happened – there was certainly no mistletoe at any of my family parties.�

“Did you think of anyone you’d like to catch under some, at least?� Victoire asked coyly.

Tina blushed. “No, oh, no,� she said quickly. “I don’t really have ... you know. There’s no one to think of.�

“Uh-huh.� Victoire was disappointed. She knew better than to flat-out ask Tina about Seth, so if she wasn’t going to volunteer any information, that was the end of it. Regretfully, she turned the discussion to favorite Christmas gifts.

The next morning at breakfast, Victoire made sure to sit by Teddy. Erin Connelly, sitting down several seats, glared at her.

“Tina refuses to acknowledge anything going on,� Victoire whispered, ignoring all baleful looks. “I thought when you said they might need help, you were joking.�

“You’re less observant than I am,� Teddy said seriously, spooning up some porridge. “I’ve known about Seth for months, and he always denies everything. The Christmas party was the first time I’ve seen him make any action whatsoever – and nothing else looks likely to happen. It appears they are in desperate need of our matchmaking assistance.�

“Wow, months?� Victoire said, impressed. “And I only just figured out! You’ve been holding out on me, Theodore Lupin.� She nipped a piece of bacon from his plate. “So what should we do?�

“I’m not sure. There’s a Hogsmeade weekend coming up in about a month, should we force them to go on a date?�

“Forcing won’t do anything for Tina Timmins. It makes her more stubborn,� Victoire replied, shaking her head. “Maybe – � she stopped short when Tina, rubbing her eyes sleepily, sat down next to her.

“Why didn’t you wake me up?� she mumbled grumpily. “I’m going to be late for the first day back.�

“No, you’ll be fine,� Victoire said. “Here, I’ll get you some porridge and cocoa. Would you like some hash browns?�

“I’d rather not,� Tina replied, watching blankly as Victoire got her breakfast. “Thanks, Victoire.�

“Eat up, and wake up,� her friend replied with a grin. “Up all night dreaming of mistletoe?�

“No.� Tina blushed. “Christmas season’s over, in case no one thought to remind you.�

“Oh, that’s too bad. I was going to break out the carols.� Seth appeared to be running even later than Tina; he’d just arrived.

“Oh, go ahead and sing us one,� Tina said, appearing slightly more alert.

“Sure, go on, Seth,� Teddy encouraged.

“I was joking,� Seth replied, glaring at Tina. “My voice is not at its best this early in the morning, and I’d hate to lose points for disruption of breakfast.�

“Some other time then,� Tina said. She made room for Seth next to her then began attacking her breakfast with zeal.

“You shouldn’t feel obligated to sing just because Tina tells you to,� Victoire thought she should add. It was a nice opening for Seth to point out that he valued Tina’s orders, or something like that.

“Teddy told me to as well,� Seth pointed out.

“Oh, well, then, by all means, some other time.� Victoire smiled sweetly as Seth piled eggs high onto his plate.

“Nice try,� Teddy whispered, nudging her. “But he’s well-practiced at avoiding anything at all akin to a confession.�

“If I’d known it would be this hard, maybe I wouldn’t have signed up,� she whispered back.

“What? Lose my favorite partner in crime? This cannot be!�

“I’ll stick to it now. But we’ve got to come up with a better plan.�

“I’ll put my full attention to it during Charms this morning.�

“No wonder you need me to tutor you.� Victoire slugged him lightly on the shoulder. “Do you ever pay attention in that class?�

“I see no reason to gratify that with an answer,� Teddy said loftily, standing and gathering his books. “Perhaps we shall meet later today, Miss Weasley.�

“Perhaps,� Victoire agreed, sounding like her mother when she used her haughtiest tones. “Until then, Mr. Lupin.�

He bowed, then left. Victoire glanced at Tina and saw both her and Seth staring at her, but they quickly busied themselves with their breakfast when they noticed her looking.

“I think I’ll meet you in Transfiguration, Tina,� Victoire said uncertainly. Just why had they been staring? Interactions between her and Teddy were nothing new. She decided that she would never understand why her friends did the things they did and made her way to the Transfiguration classroom to think about a good plan.


Victoire could hardly wait for lunch so she could talk to Teddy again. It made her happy just to be near him – happy and frustrated all at once – but she did have important things to discuss with him as well. She was disappointed, then, to see only Seth at the table.

“Where’s Teddy?� she asked while Tina sat down and helped herself to a sandwich.

“He said he would be in the library for a while,� Seth replied, looking meaningly up at her. “Probably wants you to meet him there.�

“Thanks,� Victoire said with a smile, rushing off.

“Whoa there, Miss Weasley.� Professor McGonagall caught her arm just as she was rounding the corner towrad the library. “Skipping lunch, are we? This won’t do; I’ll have to put you in detention.�

“What, why? It’s no crime to miss lunch. Aunt Hermione told me she used to skip it all the time.�

“That’s not the way you’re supposed to react. You’re not supposed to have a valid reason to get out of detention.� Professor McGonagall pouted, a very incongruous expression with her character.

“Teddy, this isn’t funny,� Victoire said, narrowing her eyes. “I thought of a good plan and I want to tell it to you. I don’t feel comfortable telling McGonagall.�

“Okay, fine.� Professor McGonagall melted into a seventh-year Gryffindor, though the pout remained. “Victoire, sometimes you’re no fun.�

“One of these days you’re going to be morphed into a professor and the real one is going to come walking by and you’ll be in huge trouble,� she scolded.

“You sound like your grandma,� Teddy informed her, starting to grin. “Do I have dirt on my face, too, Gran Molly?�

Victoire squinted at his face. “Just there,� she said, licking her finger and rubbing vigorously.

“Ow, ow, stop it!� Teddy pulled her hand down. “Now tell me your awesome plan. I want to see if it’s better than mine.�

“Well, it still involves the Hogsmeade weekend,� Victoire said, resisting the urge to pull her hand out of Teddy’s grasp. Maybe this was one of those tests Tina told her Teddy was going to give her, to see if she was serious about her feelings or not. “But I’ll ask Seth.�

“This is way too much like my plan,� Teddy interrupted, dropping Victoire’s hand as if he’d never been holding it. “Except in my plan I asked Tina.�

Victoire wished he’d pick up her hand again. It’d been nice to pretend that they were actually holding hands. She forced herself to think of Tina and Seth instead. “Will Seth go with me?� she asked.

“I think I can convince him,� Teddy replied. “Will Tina go with me?�

“I think I can convince her,� Victoire replied. “And then do we sneak away and leave them alone or flirt madly with our dates and make them jealous?�

“Both. This is too creepy, Victoire. How did you come up with the exact same thing I did?�

“When you morphed into me, some of your brain cells did too, and they got stuck, so now you think like me.�

“That’s horrible.� Teddy was appalled. “Just imagine all the brain cells I’ve got that aren’t mine. Are you sure we’re both not just geniuses?�

“You can just keep telling yourself that.� Victoire smiled and patted his cheek gently. “If it makes you feel better.�

“Thanks. We should hurry and eat lunch before McGonagall comes by and tries to give us detention.�

“Or we faint from lack of nutrition,� Victoire supplied as an alternative. “I think our plan’s going to work wonderfully, don’t you?�

“I hope so.�


It took Victoire about a week to figure out just what to say to Tina to prepare her for Teddy’s impending invitation. In the meantime, Teddy and Seth continued to sit by them at meals. Neither Teddy nor Victoire felt that they were making any progress when it came to Seth and Tina, but Victoire was happy. She hadn’t felt so truly close to Teddy since before he went to Hogwarts. They’d been good friends still, but their competing demands for attention had drawn them apart.

Now they were closer than ever. Victoire didn’t really understand why – whether it was because they were united in a cause as they hadn’t been since the great Prank Uncle George escapade or because of some mystical connection they’d forged under the mistletoe, Victoire couldn’t be quite sure. Well, she could be fairly sure it wasn’t the latter, but Tina was fond of that theory. (Tina also didn’t know about the cause they were united in.)

Finally Victoire thought she’d better not procrastinate any longer. One night, after they were in bed, she put down her book and said purposefully, “Tina.�

“What?� Tina looked up.

“I want Teddy to go to Hogsmeade with me,� Victoire said. “But if I ask him on a date, he might say no.�

“I doubt it. Victoire, you’re best friends. Of course he’d go with you.�

“Will you go with him instead?� Victoire burst out, keeping to her script even if Tina was foiling her plans. “I can get him to ask you easier than I can get him to ask me.�

“You could always ask him,� Tina said dubiously. “I don’t know what the point is of me going with him.�

Victoire bit back a sigh of frustration. This was much harder than she’d thought it was going to be. “Don’t you see how it takes all the pressure off if you go with him? I could take Seth or something and we could all go as friends, but it would almost be like going just with Teddy.�

“This is one of your more harebrained schemes,� Tina remarked, “but I suppose I’ll go along with it.�

“I think it’s a good idea,� Victoire muttered. “So does Teddy.�

“What? I didn’t hear that last part.�

“Oh. Just that I want to spend time with Teddy.�

“Right. Well, I’ll go with him to Hogsmeade. If you can get him to ask me.�

“I’m sure I won’t have any trouble with that,� Victoire said with certainty. “Good night, Tina.�

“Good night.�

Victoire turned out the light with a sigh. It had seemed fairly logical when she’d worked it out before. Now the flaws in her reasoning were clearly laid out. Well, at least Tina had agreed to the plan.

The Plan. Victoire and Teddy had initially dubbed it “The Date Plan,� but in the days leading up to the Hogsmeade weekend they’d shortened it to “The Plan,� to save both time and awkward explanations if anyone overheard them. They didn’t talk about it much. Teddy thought that over-planning would stilt the conversation and make everything more difficult, so Victoire only mentioned it when commenting on the shrinking number of days, or if she was particularly frustrated with Tina and Seth’s reluctance to admit anything.

Finally the day arrived. Tina was taking rather more care with her appearance than usual, and when asked why replied simply, “Whether or not it means anything, I am ostensibly on a date. I should at least look like I’m on one. It’s common courtesy.�

“Oh. So it’s not who you’re going with or anything,� Victoire probed lightly.

Tina turned and looked askance at her. “Um, Victoire, Teddy’s yours. I’m only going with him as a favor to you.�

“Well, Seth is going, too,� Victoire said, her annoyance overcoming her caution for a moment.

“Yes, he is,� Tina agreed, but didn’t volunteer any more information. “And he will be pleased to have such a lovely date. You’re just about ready, right?�

Victoire picked up her cloak and shook it out. “Yep. Let’s go.�

Seth and Teddy were waiting downstairs in the Common Room. Teddy gave a shadow of a wink to Victoire before turning to Tina and complimenting her warmly on her outfit.

“Hey there Victoire,� Seth said, not even looking at the spectacle Teddy was providing. “You look quite lovely today.�

“Thanks.� Victoire fluttered her eyelashes and favored him with a smoldering half smile. “You’re looking quite dashing yourself,� she murmured, stepping closer to him and running her fingers lightly up his arm. “I’m fond of this sweater.�

Seth blushed profusely and stammered his thanks, rallying himself to offer his arm to Victoire after Teddy offered his to Tina’s. They paraded through the corridors and down the stairs until they hit the jam that the caretaker Filch was creating with his inspection of all Hogsmeade-goers.

“I was thinking we might go to the Three Broomsticks,� Teddy said as the line moved slowly forward. “Tina, does that sound all right to you?�

“Um, sure,� she said, nonplussed.

“And then maybe we could go on a walk, see the sights together,� he added, a hint of what Victoire would call romantic longing in his voice.

“It all depends on what Victoire and Seth want to do,� Tina said, panicking slightly.

Victoire would laugh, and in fact she almost did, but she couldn’t help being slightly jealous. She’d give anything to have Teddy use that tone of voice with her, and mean it. She forced it out of her mind and clung to Seth’s arm.

“Oh, it doesn’t really matter,� she said blithely, leaning her head close to Seth’s shoulder. “Anything works.�

She was gratified to see a flash of hurt in Tina’s eyes before she turned and walked toward the door.

“Here now, missy,� Filch said, catching her arm. “Ain’t you a bit young to be trying to go to Hogsmeade?�

“I beg your pardon,� Tina said stiffly. “I’m a sixth-year. You stop me every single time, and every time, I walk past.�

“Let her go, if you please,� Teddy said, the very picture of a chivalric knight.

“It’s all right, Argus,� Professor Vector, the professor assisting in inspections, said. “Tina’s as old as she says she is.�

Filch muttered, but he let the group pass with no more than a glare. As soon as they were out of earshot, Victoire, Seth, and Teddy burst out laughing.

“It’s really not that funny, guys,� Tina said.

“Yes, it is,� Victoire gasped. “It reminds me of that song Peeves made up in our first year. Do you remember it?�

Seth and Teddy nodded and, completely ignoring Tina’s threatening glare, joined Victoire in singing the annoying little ditty: “Tina Tina tiny Tina, Tina Tina tiny Tina, teeny-tiny Tina Timmins!� They sang it again, loudly, so that it reverberated through the grounds and caused people to turn and look at them.

“Stop!� Tina shouted. “Guys! I’ll never get it out of my head now!�

“I think that’s the point of it,� Teddy pointed out, but then remembered that he was supposed to be flirting, not teasing. “We’ll stop,� he said, pinning Victoire with a stern look. “I’m sorry, Tina.� He patted her arm sympathetically.

The rest of the walk to Hogsmeade was spent on less controversial topics, though Victoire had to keep catching herself when she accidentally started humming the song. She was thoroughly enjoying herself nonetheless, and never really stopped laughing until they’d chosen their booth at the Three Broomsticks.

“Hello there, kids,� Hannah Longbottom said, approaching them as they took their seats. “Here for a special Valentine’s Day outing?� Her cheeks went rosy as she smiled happily at them. “What can I get for you lot?�

“Um, butterbeers for all of us,� Victoire said. She could tell from the others’ expressions that they hadn’t realized that this was the nearest Hogsmeade weekend to Valentine’s Day either. Just that slightly dazed look, and a sudden reluctance to look at one’s date – how awkward.

Victoire determined she’d better do something to take their mind off the fact that they were there together on the most romantic date day at Hogwarts. So she scooted much closer to Seth and said, just loud enough that the others could hear if they strained, “Tell me, Seth. What are your plans after graduating?�

“Well, my uncle’s going to try and get me a job at the Ministry if I do well on my N.E.W.T.s. International Cooperation,� Seth said, clearly battling between embarrassment at Victoire’s behavior and fascination at her interest.

“Oh, how impressive!� Victoire cooed, moving even closer. “That’s a very interesting field. My mother sometimes does some work there and I think you’d like it.� She smiled alluringly, and Seth, who had been dividing his gaze between the table and her face, lost all interest in the table whatsoever. Victoire put her hand gently on his arm. “Mama doesn’t have an awful lot to do with that department, but she could probably put a good word in for you if you like. I’ll tell her how good you are.�

“That’d – � Seth cleared his throat nervously. “That’d be nice.�

Victoire glanced at the other side of the table. Tina definitely looked mad, which Victoire thought could only be good. She was going to smirk privately at Teddy but was shocked to see that he looked angry as well. She glared back at him and tilted her head toward Tina, trying to wordlessly remind him to flirt as well.

“Here you go, dears,� Hannah said, depositing four frothing mugs on the table. “Don’t forget to leave us a tip,� she added with a wink, then bustled away to help other customers.

“She’s awfully nice,� Teddy said, trying to change the subject. “Reminds me a bit of you that way, Tina,� he tried, his smile and his tone of voice falling just a little flat.

“Thanks, Teddy,� Tina replied, not looking up at him or at anyone else.

Victoire rolled her eyes. He really was terrible at flirting. She took a sip of her butterbeer and looked back up at Seth, all prepared to say something else with a tempting smile on her face, but she was taken aback. Seth was already watching her, his stare almost blank.

Blast. She’d overdone it. She turned back to Teddy and Tina, but they were both staring at their drinks. There was no conversation to step into there. Huffing quietly, she joined the club and stared at the froth on her mug. The Plan appeared to be failing so far. Tina was getting appropriately jealous, but Teddy was not doing his job, so Seth had no opportunity to reciprocate the jealousy. And instead of trying to flirt better, Teddy was mad too! What was going on?

“Victoire, I just remembered I was going to talk to you about something,� Teddy said suddenly. “Do you guys mind if we leave for a few minutes?�

“No, go ahead,� Tina said, trying to look meaningly at Seth but unable to because he was still staring at Victoire.

“Okay, thanks. We’ll be back in a bit. Come on, Victoire.�

Victoire followed Teddy out of the pub with some trepidation.

“I brought Extendable Ears,� she said tentatively, pulling a couple out of her pocket.

“No.� Teddy’s brusque tone was as hurtful as if he’d pushed her out of the way. “I’m going to take a walk.�

“Oh.� Victoire dithered for a moment. She desperately wanted to hear what Tina and Seth were saying, but she watched Teddy’s stiff gait as he walked away and knew she had to go after him.

It took a bit of running, but Victoire edged in front of Teddy and blocked his path.

“What is wrong?� she cried.

“You don’t know?�

“Well, no,� Victoire replied, deeply hurt by his cold tone. “I was just following The Plan!�

“You went way too far. There is no call for you to ever use your ... inherited advantages.�

“My veela charms?� Victoire clarified incredulously. “What is wrong with my veela charms?�

“Wrong,� Teddy repeated slowly. “What is wrong...?�

“A bit hard-pressed to find anything, are you?� Victoire said acidly.

“No, that’s not it. Just trying to make sense of what I’m about to say.� Teddy stared impassively down at her. “Using veela tricks clouds people’s judgment. It’s almost like the Imperius Curse, except you get people to do what you want through seduction.�

“I’ve never seduced anyone in my life!� Victoire exclaimed angrily. “How dare you say such a thing?�

“You can’t deny that’s the form your powers take,� Teddy shot back. “I always wonder what you’re up to, what your motivations are.�

“Worried I’m plotting to take over the world? My ‘powers’ are not very strong.�

“They’re strong enough to do some real damage. It’s going to take some time for Seth to recover from what you did to him back there.�

“I didn’t mean any harm,� Victoire said softly, looking down in shame. “It was all in fun.�

“And you don’t exercise your power responsibly!� Teddy shouted.

“I’m sorry!� Victoire didn’t know what else to say. If he kept on like this she was going to start crying. “I didn’t know you hated it so badly. I...I’ll fix things, I promise. And I won’t do it again.�

“Good.�

She didn’t want to leave it on this note. Bravely mustering a smile, she said, “And to think all this time I thought you might just be immune. You never did respond normally.�

Teddy looked at her. She willed him to smile back, or better, ask why she was trying veela tricks on him in the first place. But he didn’t do either of those things, and she couldn’t read anything in his eyes.

Well, Victoire was not about to offer up an explanation for trying to “seduce� Teddy if he wasn’t going to ask. When it was pretty apparent he was not going to say anything, she turned and walked away.

The connection she’d felt with Teddy was faltering with every step. As tears started to fall, Victoire hoped with all her heart that he would come running after her. Surely he didn’t want to leave things like this any more than she did. But no sound of hurrying footsteps reached Victoire’s ears.

I guess that’s it, then, she thought sadly. Should’ve stuck with being friends. Even though she told herself that, she didn’t really believe it. She kept listening for sounds of pursuit. It was only when she reached Hogwarts castle that she let herself realize that not only were her romantic prospects with Teddy in vain, but she might not even have a friend anymore.

There must be some way to fix this.

Victoire was all cried out. Now she was sitting calmly on her bed, waiting for a solution to come to her. She hadn’t been able to think of anything to make things better, so her best hope was that they would just become right.

The dormitory door opened, and Tina walked in.

“Hey,� Victoire said. Tina glanced at her but didn’t respond. “How – how’s Seth?� Victoire ventured nervously.

“I kissed him,� Tina said. “So he’s okay. No thanks to you.�

“You kissed him? That’s great!� Victoire grinned, but her heart wasn’t in it. “I’m sorry about...about what happened.�

“Couldn’t let well enough alone, could you?� Tina spat, and Victoire recoiled. “You just had to barge in and mess with our carefully balanced equilibrium.�

“What are you talking about? Teddy and I saw that you needed some help so we thought we’d help out a bit.�

“The best way you could’ve helped was by getting together with Teddy.� Tina sat on her bed with a huff. “Not by messing with us.�

“Um, you lost me there,� Victoire said, trying to keep her voice normal so Tina would respond in kind.

“I should’ve known when you kept prying that you were planning something,� Tina said. “Seth said not to worry about it, but I knew there was something fishy about the date with Teddy.�

“I’m still confused,� Victoire remarked, heartened by Tina’s nicer tone.

But then she blew up again. “Do you think Seth and I are really that stupid?� Tina ranted. “We knew that we liked each other, and we knew that it would work out well between us, but we had the greater good in mind! Our lives would just be easier if you and Teddy got together, so we decided to focus on that first. Then you had to go and ruin that too...�

“Wait, how’d you know?� Victoire interrupted. “And why didn’t you just start dating Seth and help us from that enviable position?�

Tina just glared. “We decided it’d be better if we waited. And Teddy came back to the pub without you. I put two and two together. You must really think I’m an idiot for not catching on, huh?� She folded her arms crossly.

“To you and Seth? No. I’m the idiot,� Victoire said sadly. She’d been so excited at the prospect of working with Teddy on such a good cause she hadn’t even paid attention to Tina. Tears, which Victoire thought she was fresh out of, began to well into her eyes. “I’m sorry, Tina,� she choked out. “Everything’s been messed up and it’s my fault.�

“At least you have the wisdom and courage to admit it,� Tina replied. Victoire wiped her eyes and nodded. She looked up when she heard the door click shut. Tina had left.

With an anguished moan, Victoire flopped down and burst into tears again. Her eyes were already stinging and swollen from her first sobs, but Victoire let her tears flow anyway. She had no doubt that Seth was very angry with her as well, so there was no one she could talk to. It was amazing how, in the course of an hour, she could ruin everything in her life so thoroughly. She couldn’t take any joy from the way The Plan had apparently worked. All she felt she could do was cry, so she did.

For a while.

Then, her tears once again dry, Victoire sat up and saw her bookbag. There was something she hadn’t ruined yet, and might even take her mind off everything else. She stood up, gathered her books, and went to the library to do homework for a while.

She didn’t look anywhere but at her Transfiguration assignment on her way out of the common room, so her gaze didn’t fall on Tina, Seth, or Teddy – if, in fact, they were even there. She wouldn’t know. Her attention was so focused on this aspect of her life she must not ruin, she almost ran into several people on the way to the library.

Heartbreak should be marketed as a study enhancer, Victoire mused as she carried several books to her work table. She, personally, had never been so motivated in her life. Not even for O.W.L.s.

Twenty minutes later, though, Victoire had to admit that trying to market heartbreak wouldn’t work very well. She was making valiant progress with her Transfiguration essay but kept getting distracted by thoughts of her friends. How could she make it up to them? While Victoire tried to remember how a rodent’s anatomy factored into wand movements, her brain defied her by supplying various ideas for an attempt at reconciliation.

“Gah.� Victoire threw down her quill and dropped her face into her hands. This wasn’t going well. It was tempting to go back to her room, but Tina might be there – she didn’t want to deal with that again, not yet. With a sigh, she picked her quill back up and flipped through a nearby book, looking for a fact that would strengthen her essay.

“Aunt Hermione would be proud of you, doing homework on a Saturday.�

Victoire’s heart leapt, but she hurriedly stuffed it back down. Her imagination was angry at her for persevering with her homework, so it was retaliating by making her believe that Teddy was right behind her, speaking in a normal tone of voice. It was the only reasonable explanation.

Reason be hanged! she thought. Her imagination couldn’t replicate the very sight of Teddy, nor the warmth of his body as he passed right next to her on his way to the other chair at her table.

“What are you doing here?� Victoire asked, unable to keep a hint of harshness from her voice. Had he thought of more reasons why she was evil?

“Tina nicked some food from the kitchens for you but by the time she got back you were gone. She asked me to look for you. I figured this is where you’d be.� Teddy offered his explanation steadily, looking at Victoire calmly.

Victoire was struck by just how well he knew her and almost smiled tenderly, then realized she had no reason to be talking civilly to this person. “Why did she get food for me?� she asked coolly.

“She was sorry. Actually – � Teddy smiled a little – “she said that you were the most pathetic thing she’d seen in months, and she just had to try and make you feel better.�

“I thought she was still angry at me,� Victoire confessed, bewildered. She was having the hardest time rebuffing Teddy. This confrontation was turning into more of a conversation. “She left without saying anything.�

“Well, she hadn’t quite forgiven you.� Teddy grinned his devastating grin. “In fact, she sat in the common room for quite a while, muttering about how pathetic you were, how angry she was trying to be at you, that sort of thing.�

Victoire really wished he hadn’t smiled. “So were you in the common room when I left?�

“No, I was up in my dorm,� Teddy replied. “Tina came up there with Seth later.�

She sighed in relief. It wasn’t clear to her why it mattered that he hadn’t seen her then, but she was happier talking to him now. Though, of course, she really shouldn’t be happy talking to him, after he’d yelled at her earlier. Maybe she should bring that up. She opened her mouth.

“When’s that essay due?� Teddy asked before she could say anything. He pulled her parchment toward him, brushing her hand as he did so.

Victoire closed her eyes – not concentrating, but trying to quell the shivers that emanated from his touch. “Wednesday.�

“And you’re working on it today?� Teddy shook his head. “Come on; let’s go for a walk.�

“What?� This had gone from mildly bewildering to mind-numbingly confusing. This wasn’t the sort of behavior Victoire would expect from someone who had yelled hateful things at her only hours before.

“Gather up your things so nobody steals them and let’s go,� Teddy repeated impatiently.

She did as he said. “Teddy, I’m really confused,� she confessed, shouldering her bag and following him out of the library. “Homework is important for my success in my classes.�

“I know all that. But you don’t really want to be in there, do you?�

“Depends,� Victoire said nervously. “What’s going to happen on this walk?�

“No more yelling,� Teddy promised, looking down at his shoes then back up at Victoire.

“Are we even going to talk about it?� Victoire wanted to know. “Because the fact that the yelling happened at all is really bothering me.�

Teddy sighed. “I know. It’s bothering me, too.�

“Well...� Victoire began, then stopped. She didn’t need to lash out at Teddy when he hadn’t even done anything yet, and appeared to be apologizing. So she didn’t say that it was his fault he was bothered.

“Do you remember Christmas?� Teddy said.

“Huh?� Victoire hadn’t expected that. “Sure, I remember. Why?�

“Remember the mistletoe?�

“I’m not likely to forget that anytime soon,� Victoire said wryly. What does this have to do with anything? she thought.

“And what I said right before I...� he gestured vaguely at Victoire’s face, seemingly too embarrassed to continue.

“Yes. I remember that.� She hadn’t understood him at all. “You won’t...you won’t take this to mean anything it doesn’t, will you?�

“And you still don’t get what I’m trying to say,� Teddy said, clearly frustrated.

“Well, no.� Victoire shook her head and laughed a bit. “Teddy, I am utterly confused. I thought you were going to say you didn’t mean what you yelled earlier, or at least apologize for making me think you hate me.�

“I couldn’t hate my best friend,� Teddy interrupted.

“You pretended pretty well,� Victoire responded. “And now you’re talking about what you said at Christmas as if it was something marvelous revelatory and I’m slow for not understanding what on earth you’re trying to say.�

“I’m really sorry for yelling at you about your veela stuff,� Teddy replied, throwing Victoire off balance again by reverting back to their original topic. “I was overreacting.�

“Yes, you were!� Victoire exclaimed. “If you didn’t like it, you should’ve told me before I ruined my best friends’ lives!�

“Their lives aren’t ruined,� Teddy said earnestly.

“Well, mine is!� Victoire responded. “Was,� she amended. “I thought so, at least. Back when Tina left me in a rage and I left you in a rage and I didn’t even want to look Seth in the eye.�

“Gosh, I’m sorry,� Teddy said, grasping Victoire’s arm. “I didn’t mean to make you so upset.�

Victoire looked askance at him.

“Okay, I did mean to rile you up a little bit. Just enough to make you realize that you didn’t have to resort to veela tricks to get me to like you.�

“Teddy, you’re insane.� Victoire cradled her head in her hand. “That’s not how it works.�

“I don’t see why not.�

“Well, considering that I tried to give you an opening to admit that you didn’t need veela tricks and you didn’t take it, I think that’s reason enough.�

“Oh.� Teddy blushed. “What an idiot.�

Victoire didn’t want to nod, even though she agreed heartily. Because Teddy had pretty much admitted that he actually liked her and she didn’t want to make him change his mind.

“So...back to Christmas.�

“Yes, please tell me what subtle hints about your feelings I missed there,� Victoire said.

“I thought you liked subtle things,� Teddy said. “So I tried to tell you that I actually wanted the kiss to mean something real. When I asked you not to think of it meaning something it didn’t, you were supposed to think that I was meaning it very strongly. You didn’t pick up on that?�

“No. No, of course not!� Victoire winced and grinned at the same time. “I’m a little bit surprised that Tina and I didn’t come up with that as a possible explanation, but not really. That was rather out there.�

Teddy shook his head. “You know, I thought I knew you pretty well.�

“You do.� Victoire put her hand on his shoulder and smiled reassuringly. “You know me better than anyone in the world.�

“Then why did I fail so badly at wooing you?� he asked despairingly.

“Now, that I don’t know. But, you’ve gotta admit, I didn’t do so hot at wooing you either.�

“You had unfair advantages.� Somehow, Teddy’s arm was around her waist and her hand on his shoulder was sliding around his neck.

“I thought veela tricks didn’t work on you.� His face was so close. She could see the gold flecks in his brown eyes as he leaned in.

“No one’s immune,� he whispered, before pulling her to him and pressing his lips to hers.

Now this was a kiss with meaning behind it. Victoire didn’t know if Teddy felt the same, but she could feel all her pent-up frustrations of the year flowing into the kiss, and in return she received fireworks and warmth and triumph. She’d done it. Her life’s dreams were coming true right at this moment.

The moment, though, ended far too soon. Teddy pulled away and stared at her, gasping a little.

“Why’d you stop?� Victoire complained.

“Just wanted to make sure neither of us had turned into toads,� he replied, his face quirking into that grin Victoire loved so much.

“Not yet,� Victoire said, snaking her arms even more tightly around him. “Guess we’d better try for a while longer, see if the spell is on a time-delay or something.�

Teddy hastened to comply.

Victoire had to laugh. She couldn’t help it; the look on Teddy’s face – shocked, amused, and slightly irritated – was so endearing (and so like how she felt) that her giggles kept coming even when she tried to stop.

“We kept it secret for so long!� Teddy exclaimed. “The whole summer, none of the kids suspected a thing. We even kept it from James at Hogwarts, which I thought was impossible. And then he just runs into us at the Platform and our entire cover is blown.�

“You’re not upset, are you?� Victoire asked, lacing her hands around his waist and leaning toward him. “I mean, we couldn’t have kept it quiet forever. All the grownups knew by Easter; I expected one of them to slip before now.�

He shook his head. “I’m not upset. Just a little annoyed that we were interrupted when I was trying to say how much I’ll miss you.�

“How much?�

Teddy kissed her, long and sweet. When he pulled away, he murmured, “At least that much.�

“It’s going to be dreadful this year without you,� Victoire sighed. “As pleased as I am about being Head Girl, I don’t expect I’ll have much fun. Tina’s not going to be any fun, either – she’ll just want to sit and mope about Seth being gone, and because I’ll just want to sit and mope about you, it’s going to be depressing. And on top of all that, thanks to our little run-in with James, I get to deal with constant teasing from all my little cousins.�

“Somehow, I doubt it will be as bad as all that.� Teddy smiled a little as he stroked her hair. “I might need to stop going to dinner at the Potters’, though. There are some small cousins there that will love to tease me as well.�

Victoire tightened her hold on him. “I need to go; the train will leave any minute. I love you so much.�

“I love you so much. Write me as soon as you figure out a way to stop the children from teasing.�

“I’ll probably write before then. See you in Hogsmeade.�

“I’m already counting down the days.�

“We’re disgusting, you know that?�

Teddy rolled his eyes. “Cut us some slack. We’ve never spent this much time apart in our whole lives – even when we weren’t best friends.�

“Miss you,� Victoire murmured, kissing him one last time. “I really need to go now. Good luck with your new job.�

“Good luck with your last year. Don’t let anyone steal you away.�

“You jest,� Victoire called, stepping away and climbing up the steps just as the train whistled warningly. “I’ll call you on it when I come back at Christmas and you’ve got some beauty with hair as fair as corn silk on your arm.�

“Keep talking junk and I might not write you back,� Teddy yelled back. “For a day or two.�

“Goodbye!� Victoire waved one last time before resigning herself to running the Prefects’ meeting. After it was over, she ran into Tina, as long-faced as she was, and they ended up amusing themselves with how disconsolate they were.

“Why aren’t we crying yet?� Tina asked, shaking her head and smiling. “Some depressed girlfriends we are.�

“Speak for yourself,� Victoire replied haughtily, staring wide-eyed into the distance until her eyes watered. “I must miss Teddy more than you miss Seth.�

“Don’t start that,� Tina warned. “You will lose.�

“Oh really?� Victoire wiped her eyes so she could properly narrow them.

“Yes, really.� And Tina flashed her left hand toward Victoire’s face. “Fiancees always win out over mere girlfriends.�

“And you waited this long to tell me?� Victoire exclaimed, grabbing Tina’s hand to examine the ring. “You were just hanging out, waiting for me to suggest a war over who misses their boy most? Despicable!�

“I would’ve brought it up eventually,� Tina defended, smiling a little at her finger. “I actually thought you’d notice it first.�

“I miss Teddy too much,� Victoire responded, smirking. She was a little bit shocked, but so incredibly glad about Tina’s news that she forgot for a moment how lonely she felt. “When is the happy day?�

“Probably the summer after I graduate, but it depends on a few things – like our work,� Tina said. “Victoire, I’m so happy, but I miss him!�

“I do know a little bit how you feel,� Victoire said, but a little wistfully. Teddy wouldn’t talk about marriage while she was still in Hogwarts. She could mostly understand that, but seeing the glow on Tina’s face made her wish that he’d at least let her mention what kind of rings she liked.

“It’s not as if your fate is any less certain,� Tina remarked suddenly. “As soon as you stopped fighting against your destiny with Teddy, it was set in stone.�

“I don’t think I was doing all the fighting,� Victoire felt she had to say.

“I know. But you can feel, can’t you, how you and Teddy are meant to be, and always have been. Your day will come.�

“Thanks.� Victoire shrugged. “I guess I can wait as long as I need to. His justification for not wanting to talk about it is good, after all. It would just be so, so …�

“Gratifying,� Tina supplied with a grin.

“Yes, it would be gratifying to have such a tangible symbol of the way we feel about each other,� Victoire continued, gesturing to Tina’s ring. “But we’re best friends that are in love, and after all the work I went to I’m not planning on changing my mind!�

“And we know Teddy well enough to know that he feels the same way.�

Victoire felt her heart prick at the mention of him. She missed him so much already. It was definitely time to change the subject. “What kind of wedding are you going to have?� she asked.

“You can help me choose!� Tina said. “You’re my Maid of Honor!�

“Oh, okay!� Victoire replied. “Thank you for asking me.�

“You would’ve said yes anyway,� Tina responded matter-of-factly, and the two girls sat in happy activity, dreaming of the promises of the future.