“Vicky!� She felt slight pressure under her elbow, and when she looked up, it was to see the warm eyes and festively colored hair of Teddy Lupin.

“Teddy, hello,� Victoire smiled, genially pleased to see him. She thought of her Auntie Muriel – why had she been invited? No one liked her much, and her family wasn’t short on money anymore, not for a long time– her ever-aging Great Aunt who was constantly complaining about her ‘mingling with the French,’ choosing to forget, it seemed to Victoire, that she was as much from France as from Britain – oh, she was defiantly happy to see Teddy, but could have waited a year, or forever, to see her dear Auntie again.

Teddy nodded vigorously, grinned and replied that he was well, thank you, and gestured to an unoccupied sofa on the other side of the room. ‘Do you want to catch up a bit? We haven’t talked in ages!’

As Victoire wanted to very much, she followed her long time friend. She had to suppress a sudden urge to laugh as she watched him saunter off. She had almost forgotten how he moved… all done with a hundred percent. He didn’t do things half way, is what she meant. If Teddy had to jump to the side to avoid hitting someone, he didn’t just jump the few inches, he leapt. When he waved to his grandmother down the hall, he didn’t just wave, he gestured widely, his whole body animated, eyes alight, truly pleased to see her. It was always fun watching him and being in his company. His clumsiness and proneness to tripping made it all the more amusing.

They were comfortable settled on the couch by now, both a glass of butterbeer in hand. They were talking about the usual – how was school, how was everyone, how were they in general, when Teddy suddenly became quiet, a small smile on his lips. She wondered briefly if he could morph lips, and had he morphed them to be such a perfect shape?

“Hey, Vicky?� She looked at him questioning.

“Remember when we were kids?�

Victore’s eyebrow rose impeccably. “I do recall that, funnily enough.�

Teddy grinned and said, “Nah, you know what I meant. Remember the times we pretended to marry under Grandma Molly’s Magnolia tree?�

Victoire had to laugh. “Yes! And we both kept pictures of each other under our pillows, thinking we were actually husband and wife. One of your front teeth was missing in mine.�

Teddy remembered it. They had always been childhood playmates, and then a mate of his, Robert Fennwick, asked when they were going to get married and have ten kids? His cousin had, apparently, just eloped when she was sixteen, telling Rob it was never too young to start. And then were all the relatives, teasing them about how they were so adorable together, and childhood fantasy had taken over.

The tree they chose for the honors was a truly magnificent one, bright pink and white leaves weighing in the wind, scattering it petals below.

“I was a lucky guy.�

Victore giggled at that, thinking she had been the lucky one.

Their conversation easily passed on to the next topic, Quidditch, and Victoire was stunned at how easy it was to talk with Teddy. He was very open with his feelings; always had been, she recalled. He had once confessed to her, when they were perhaps nine and ten, that he sometimes wished he’d have some mark of his father in him. Not that he wanted to be a werewolf – who would?- but perhaps like Vicky’s dad, a love for undercooked meat , anything that connected him with his pa. Being a Metamorphmagus and growing up with his Gran, his mother’s mother, often made him feel more connected with his mum.

“And I dunno, but when the chaser, Ernst Malcolm, flew right through the hoop, quaffle in hand, it seemed right have the referee call a penalty, don’t you think? After all, the point is to throw it through, isn’t it? I know you said it should only be to get the ball through the hoop, but that hardly seems fair. If a little midget of a chaser…� he was saying, just as her father, Bill Weasley sidled up to them.

“Victore, you mum and I were going to leave now with Roxi, but feel free to floo back later – Oh, Teddy, hello. It’s good to see you again.�

“You too, sir.� Victoire smiled. Teddy and her dad had always gotten along well. After another brief exchange, Victoire promised to be on her way back home as soon as she said good – bye to everyone. Teddy looked disappointed.

“We’ll have to stay in touch. I don’t know how or why or whatever, but it seems like we’ve seen too little of each other lately,� he said.

“I’m home for the rest of the break, really, if you ever want to stop by.�





Victoire was confused. She hated to admit it, but she was. When had something like this, something concerning a boy, something, maybe, concerning family ever confused her? She always knew where she stood, seeing as Victoire was usually the one that decided, and her large family being such a close-knit one.

Yet Teddy Lupin was a mystery to her now. Was she even allowed to fancy him? In some ways he was like her cousin. But he wasn’t – did that make it all right that her heart beat faster and that she suddenly had a sudden urge to reapply her mascara –not that she needed it - when she saw him apparate to the edge of their property?

If he weren’t so damn cute, none of this would have happened. Victoire wasn’t even sure anything was happening. Teddy coming over only two days after the annual Christmas party didn’t have to be a sign. He just liked her, enjoyed her company, wanted to catch up with an old friend.

Victoire was descending the stairs just as their doorbell rang.

“Come in,� she said, smiling. He did.




It was the morning of his return to Hogwarts, after Christmas break. It seemed weird; this would be his last time returning to school by train, as he was planning to stay in school over Easter.

His Gran turned him around to face him. “Now, Teddy, you write as soon as you find the time. I’m hoping it’s later this evening, but you know me, I’m your Greedy Gran.�

Teddy had to smile, which turned into a laugh as his Gran winked at him. “I still insist, Grand Gran is the truth, and sounds better too,� he said, soberly, enjoying himself. He loved moments like these, which belonged to only him and another person, that were all theirs. The Greedy/Grand Gran had been going on since he was very young.

Andromeda held him tight. It was odd how his Gran went from mother figure to Grandmommy to something entirely different in a matter of seconds. “You be good now. By the way, what’s with the strawberry blonde? Very unusual for you – almost normal.�

Teddy ran a hand through his hair. Almost unconsciously, he had morphed into the exact shade of Victoire’s – did that have anything to do with the fact that she was on his mind constantly?

He shrugged his indifference, turning it back to his usual bright turquoise. His Gran groaned. “I liked it! It was good for a change.�

He said his last goodbyes and boarded the train, looking in the compartment windows for familiar faces as he went down the hall. Teddy had spoken with the Potters along with some of the Weasleys on the station; he knew they had to be around here somewhere.

A compartment slid open to his right.

“Hey, Lupin, you avoiding us?� his mate, Robert Wood, called out. He was a stocky Quidditch player in Gryffindor, and his dad was a friendly rival of Ginny’s.

“Nah, here, take my rucksack, be back in a minute.�

He ignored Rob when he muttered “He really is avoiding us.�

In one of the last compartments of the train, Teddy finally found her.

Her smile instantly made him forget that it was cloudy outside, it was so bright. Teddy loved Vicky’s smiles; they were big and beautiful and even though she smiled a lot, each one seemed to be reserved for him in particular, making him feel special.

“Teddy, hi. I’ll come out for a moment.� As she slid open the door, her hair flew around her. He was reminded irresistibly of her mother, flipping her hair over her shoulder, sending a flirtatious wink at Bill as she walked out the door. Victoire’s hair was long and full, and had a veela- like magic to it, as if it were gliding, effortlessly.

“Hey.�

Just as Teddy took a step back to allow her some room in the narrow corridor, a group of gaggling first or second years rushed past, causing him to lose his never-good balance and he tumbled suddenly into her.

He was about to apologize, but joined in as Victoire just laughed, actually throwing back her head in mirth. Her laugh was as pretty as her smile.

“How old are you, seventeen? And you have yet to learn what we learn in our first year of life – standing.�

“It was those kiddos! They pushed against me,� he gasped.

“Of course they did.� Had her eyes always have a twinkle in them? Like diamonds, sparkling when she was enjoying herself or when the light hit them? Teddy looked at the girl – woman- before him. He suddenly became very aware of the fact that he was still very close to her. He was about to right himself – very nonchalantly, very coolly, of course – when she muttered something he didn’t quite catch.

“Come again?� He asked, but Victoire seemed reluctant to say whatever she had uttered a moment ago again.

“Vicky, you can tell me! Where did that Gryffindor courage just disappear to?� Teddy joked, trying to joke the mystery out of her; he was burning with curiosity. What if… what if maybe she … ?

Victoire’s eyes rose to his, and she held his gaze. “Remember when we were kids?� she asked.

Teddy didn’t know where this was heading. “I recall that, funnily enough,� he quoted her from a week ago.

“Remember how we used to pretend to get married under Granny Molly’s magnolia tree, next to the pond.� Her voice was barely above a whisper. “Remember making up the vows ourselves, ‘Always love and be together’?� Teddy nodded, repeating the last line. “’Always love and be together.’�

Damn, he thought the next second. Victoire had closed her eyes and parted her mouth slightly, and Teddy could feel each soft rise and fall of her chest, they were so close together. She doesn’t know how magnificent she is, he suddenly thought, if he could think at all anymore. His own breathing came fast and ragged; he could feel his heart beating, and hoped she couldn’t. That’s what makes her so special. She’s the prettiest person I know, but she doesn’t brag or show off.

“Remember our first kiss, under that same tree. It was something like this,� and she closed the small gap between their lips crushed against each other for barely a moment when she pulled away slightly.

Teddy cursed his six-year-old self after he got over the shock. Their first kiss really had been that short, that pecky. Being six, they hadn’t really been overly fond of the whole snogging concept.

Ignoring the small voice in the back of his head that wanted to know what the hell he was doing, he leaned forward slightly, kissing her again. Fire stared burning in his body, somewhere, his stomach, his heart, his bloody left pinkie, he didn’t know, but he felt weightless, and Victoire was responding, deepening the kiss when – “Get a room!�

It was those first (or second?) years again. He was going to murder them. Teddy thought about it a second, and changed his mind. Murder was a bit overenthusiastic, as they had, really, brought on the whole thing. Now, sending them to Filch and giving the grumpy caretaker permission to hand the gits by their ankles in the dungeon, that he could do, it was a complete different matter.

“Get a nursery,� Victoire snapped, head high. Teddy felt her turn, and he grabbed out to grab her hand, but she had disappeared in her compartment again already.

Teddy slowly made his was back up the train, thinking. The sensation of the kiss kept returning, making this rather more difficult than it should be.

He didn’t care that this whole thing only started a short week ago. He didn’t care if it was a bit awkward for their family that, well, viewed them as family. He ruddy well fancied her a hell of a lot and she did too. He grinned as he came to this conclusion. She had kissed back, hadn’t she? And she must have been shaken, if she wasn’t, she would have come up with a far better retort than ‘Get a nursery.’ And her disappearing could be a good sign, couldn’t it? The female’s mind always utterly confused him. Yes, it would be a good sign.

Maybe this would all work out.




It had, in fact, worked out really well so far. Trips to Hogsmeade, walks around the lake, … study sessions… things were really hitting off. Victoire was very pleased by the way things worked out.

She was also pleased to see her boyfriend – she grinned at the thought, her boyfriend, that amazing creature? – Sidle up to her next to the train, sliding his arm around her waist. His hair was navy today, for a change, and he seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood.

It was September the 1st, and Victoire was returning to Hogwarts for her final year. Teddy had finished school beginning of summer, and her cousins, Rose and Albus, were boarding the train for their first year at Hogwarts.

“Hey, gorgeous. Now I know you promised there was no one you had your eye on, but don’t go off finding someone else when I’m not around. Or when I’m around, come to think of it.�

“Convince me,� Victoire said, her voice low. She meant it as a joke, but was pleased when Teddy gave her a long, passionate kiss anyway.

They were interrupted by a voice saying, obviously shocked: “Teddy? Vicky? Wha- you’re snoggin? You’re together? You fancy each other?�

“I would hope so. Have a good term; I’ll see you over Christmas. Go give Al some moral support.� Teddy said briskly, and Victoire had the distinct impression he was morphing a blush away.

Victoire’s cousin James stared at them a few seconds longer before dashing away. “Poor Al,� Victoire muttered.

They shared another short kiss, before saying their good-byes also.

“Enjoy work. Don’t go finding yourself someone else, Lupin, you hear me? Write often, I’ll miss you so much.� Victoire felt like a pansy saying it, but it was true.

“I’ll try and come up for the first match or Hogsmeade weekend. Enjoy your last year.�

“I will. Teddy, I…�

The whistle was blown as the clock struck 11:00. A large group of redheads were quickly hurrying over.

“I love you.� Victoire said really fast, kissing Teddy one last time, before being engulfed by the siege of family coming for a last word. She extracted herself from her dad’s embrace and Gran’s fifth good-bye and I-love-you and headed to the train. She had just clambered in when she looked back at him.

Teddy mouthed: “I love you too,� and when she smiled that thousand watt smile of hers, he knew she understood.




They married one and a half years later, under the magnolia tree in the Burrow’s backyard, under the tree where everything had begun.

The End