“Teddy!”
“Oy, Teddy!”
Calls surround him in the hallway, as well as waves, friendly glances, and failed smirks. The object of their attention walks down the hallway, answering them all with a cool smile. His girlfriend is latched onto his arm, smiling at him with adoration. He is their Hogwarts king, the star Quidditch player and shoo-in for Head Boy next year. They all love him.
But inside, he is cringing. He doesn’t want them to all love him, even the Slytherins. What happened to the Gryffindor-Slytherin rivalry that his godfather always told him about? Why can’t he just be like everyone else, with a few close friends by his side and being able to think to himself without someone’s voice interrupting him. And he’d have to have a talk with Mary about latching onto his arm like that. He needs to be on time to class, not weighed down by those around him.
On the outside, he grins and bears it. He is the justice-giver. If there is a problem, everyone knows where to go. To Teddy, of course! He can solve any matter with the slightest ease; he listens to everyone. Even the teachers come to him for help, as they all can’t get enough of him. Oh, Teddy Lupin, you’re such a darling boy.
On the inside, he is breaking down. He has no one to really talk to, who can understand. He turns to Harry, who he can tell anything, and writes him letters upon letters of his troubles. Harry can relate to him, and gives him advice, but sometimes it isn’t enough.
And one rainy day, he runs for it.
---
Victoire is different. She too is a Gryffindor, a studious fifth-year who sometimes deserves a second glance. At those times she curses her Veela great-grandmother, for making the boys run their eyes over her body, scrutinizing her as if she was the kind of girl who loved that kind of attention. She would glare at them, trying to send them a message: she was not the kind of girl who would bend to their will.
But at the same time, she was like everyone else. She hung out with her friends, did normal teenage-girl things, and adored Teddy Lupin. To her, of course, the connection was a bit different than to everyone else. They were practically related, with his godfather being married into her dad’s family. They were at every holiday and birthday party together “ she still remembered that time at her sixth birthday where she tried to hold his hand and ended up sitting in a tree for two hours.
And, like all the other girls, she has a crush on Teddy. No matter if he was currently taken with Mary Lewis, she still dreamed about him during stolen moments of free time. And sometimes when she had him all to herself.
She saw him run off onto the grounds as it was starting to pour heavily. He stopped at the Whomping Willow, freezing it for a second. Somehow, she tears away from her Transfiguration books, mutters an excuse, and follows him.
---
Victoire got to the Whomping Willow as a crack of lightening illuminated the background. She was soaking wet, and she couldn’t see Teddy.
“Teddy!” she called, trying to make herself heard above the terrible weather. “Teddy!”
As if in answer to her calls, the Whomping Willow froze. There was a glimpse of mousy-colored hair, and she followed it to find a tunnel. There sat Teddy, safe from the storm.
“Vic, what are you doing here?” he demanded. Victoire dropped down next to him and muttered a charm to dry her clothes.
“I saw you and well…” she trailed off, not meeting his eyes. Teddy sighed, frustrated.
“Do you want to talk about it?” she asked, knowing his look. He shook his head. Together they sat in silence, watching the storm outside them. Victoire had heard stories about the tunnel she sat in, and how it led to the Shrieking Shack. But right now she was comfortable sitting in the entranceway with Teddy. The Shrieking Shack was a trip for another day.
She held her gasp as her hand suddenly grew warmer, and she found it touching Teddy’s. But she kept her eyes straight ahead. If he wanted to talk, he would have.
And he did. He broke the silence a moment later, with two words, “I’m sorry.”
Victoire raised her eyebrows. He continued, not looking at her.
“I just “ I can’t take it anymore. I don’t want them all to know me, to love me. No one wants to listen to me, to my problems.” He paused. “‘Cept you, Vic.”
She smiled, and turned to face him, just to find him looking at her.
“Why don’t you just tell them to lay off?” she asked. He shook his head.
“That’s mean. I can’t do that,” he replied. Victoire laughed.
“You’re such a Gryffindor. You’re too noble for the rest of us.” He chuckled and looked at her.
“Thanks.” He leaned in closer to her, and unknowingly she did the same. Their eyes half-closed as their lips met. Fireworks seemed to be going off in Victoire’s head, though it may have only been the thunder and lightening outside.
After a moment, they broke apart.
“This is wrong,” Victoire whispered. Teddy smiled a ghostly smile.
“I don’t love Mary anyway,” he replied, also whispering.
“Then who do you love?” Victoire couldn’t help but ask.
There was a pause, and then, “You,” Teddy breathed.
Their lips met again, and this Victoire knew that the fireworks were real.
---
The scandal was all Hogwarts talked about the next three days. The Hogwarts king, Teddy, broke up with the beautiful Mary only to go for Victoire Weasley, who he never expressed interest in?!
It was clear, later on, that the two were made for each other. When everyone went to Teddy for help, he went to Victoire. She supported him against the waves of people.
And even Harry chuckled knowingly as the letters he got from Teddy grew shorter and less worrying.