Harry Potter - Series Fan Fiction ❯ His Greatest Fear ❯ Chapter 3

Chapter Three

 

Teddy woke with a start. The fire in the grate had long since gone out and only a few embers still glowed. The common room was cold, since the fire was gone, and Teddy shivered. He rose to go up to his bed, knowing it would be warmer than trying to go back to sleep here in the common room with no blanket to keep him warm. He yawned and stretched, but turned, hearing a little squeal of surprise from behind him.

“Sorry,” came an oddly familiar female whisper, “I didn't know anyone else was down here.” Whoever it was stood in the shadows, her face obscured from view. It was pretty dark in the room, so he was sure that she couldn't see him either.

“I'm just going up to bed,” he whispered back.

“Teddy? Is that you?” the voice murmured to him.

“Yes. Who's there?” he said, this time in a regular voice.

“Shush! You'll wake the whole dormitory. It is only two in the morning, you know. It's only me, Vicky.” She walked closer to him. He had just been thinking about her…or was it dreaming? He had been thinking about her before he fell asleep…about that kiss.

“I was thinking about you earlier,” he managed to say, hoping that it wouldn't lead her to believe something radical, like how she had managed to get that he wanted to go out on a date with her from him saying that he needed to talk to her. Well, technically he had wanted to go out on a date with her, but he wasn't going to ask her. At least not yet, but she had beat him to the punch.

“Were you now?” she asked playfully. He didn't want her to think anything bad, so he changed the subject.

“What on earth are you doing up this late?” he asked.

“Shouldn't I be asking you the same question?” Her eyes twinkled up at him in the darkness. He briefly wondered where the light reflected in her eyes was coming from, but didn't dwell on it, and began to answer her.

“Hey, I fell asleep down here!” he protested rather loudly.

“I rather think that neither one of you should be down here at this hour of the night. What are you doing down here, Lupin, Weasley?” McGonagall's sharp voice cut through the warmth they had somehow created between them like a knife.

“I fell asleep down here earlier, Professor,” Teddy replied. His hair was turning a dull brown, as it usually did when he was in trouble. As McGonagall came closer, her candle lit their faces. “I was just getting up from the chair to go up to bed when I heard someone over there. We realized who the other was and I was just telling her that I fell asleep in front of the fire and I was going up to bed and I would see her in the morning when you showed up. Honestly, Professor, that's really all that happened!” Teddy insisted. Professor McGonagall gave Teddy a scrutinizing look. Teddy's record for sneaking around at night wasn't exactly spotless. Of course, neither was Victoire's. She had a bad habit of sneaking around with him and Ross and Rose. She and Rose had taken to letting them sneak around on their own lately, though, because Victoire's mum and dad had told her that if she stepped out of line one more time, she was coming straight home to be home-schooled. The last thing she wanted was to be away from Hogwarts and most of all, Teddy, so she had stayed away from his jaunts in the dark.

“Well, being in the common room doesn't denote detention, anyway, Lupin, as I am sure that is what you are trying to avoid. And you, Ms. Weasley, have been warned by your parents. I'm shocked at the both of you.” She was eyeing them as Victoire stepped out from behind Teddy.

“Professor, I couldn't sleep, because it's nearing the full moon. I'm sure Teddy has the same feelings inside, like you're not yourself. You can't eat right or sleep well, because you feel so anxious and stressed. I know neither of us are full-fledged werewolves, but, Professor; there is still a bit of the condition we have to deal with. Surely you understand?” Victoire pleaded with all her might. They wouldn't get detention, but it would still soil the reputation that they had worked hard to get with McGonagall over the past few months. Teddy had been good lately as well. Ross was always asking to borrow the cloak, but Teddy wouldn't even let him have it. He had hidden away the Marauder's Map and only used it during the day when he was supposed to be on the grounds anyway.

McGonagall still had a bit of disbelief in her eyes, but she finally nodded. “Up to bed with the both of you, then,” she said reluctantly.

***

Teddy rolled out of bed the next morning. He didn't bother to comb his mussed hair. He only changed the color. He decided that he wanted a nice dark brown streaked with bright neon green. Since it was still the weekend, he slipped on his jeans and a black sweatshirt with some Muggle logo on it in the same green as his hair. He had bought it in the new store that had been built in Diagon Alley. It was sort of a novelty shop, because the wizards and witches could buy Muggle merchandise, such as Muggle clothing, books, toys, etc. But while he was contemplating on having a fun day hanging out with Victoire, she was having her own set of problems.

Victoire was wondering how in the world she was going to tell Rose that she and Teddy were dating. Rose still had feelings for Teddy even though she was dating Ross. She had confided in Victoire and told her that she liked Ross and all, but she would take Teddy back in a heartbeat if he would only ask her. That was the real reason for her lack of sleep the night before, although the full moon drawing near did cause her to be a bit anxious. She was sitting in the window looking outside. She glanced over at Rose, who was sleeping peacefully. Victoire just knew that she would be so angry. In fact, Victoire knew for a fact that even though Rose liked Ross, she was sort of using him to make Teddy jealous, and even though it hadn't worked, Victoire had supported him up until now. But now, she was dating Teddy. Her mind drifted back in time as she sat looking out over the grounds.

She walked outside after giving Teddy his kitten which he named Mud. They had chatted about what his name would be, and she had looked at him in a way in which she had never seen him before. His eyes were reflecting the moonlight and his cheeks were red with the cold. His lips were indescribable. She had wanted to kiss him, but had not known how. She had never kissed anyone before. So she had asked him if she could and then done it without waiting for him to say yes or no. She had never told anyone about that night.

“Vicky? Are you coming to breakfast or not?” Rose's voice broke through Victoire's thoughts, causing her to nearly fall out of the window.

“You scared me, Rose!”

“I'm sorry. Come on. I heard we were having pancakes this morning.” Victoire followed Rose down to the common room where Ross and Teddy stood waiting. Ross was still gaping, apparently from something Teddy had said. As they headed to the portrait hole, Ross and Teddy continued a conversation that had stopped when the girls had appeared.

“You're serious? You're really not kidding?” Ross was saying.

“No way would I lie to you about something that awesome!” Teddy turned and winked at Victoire. She blushed.

“Um, Vicky, what are they talking about?” Rose asked, a confused look crossing her face.

“Er—I don't know,” Vicky lied, not so smoothly.

“Yes, you do. You're lying. Why would Teddy wink at you? You know what's going on. Tell me! Don't keep it a secret! Please?” Rose was whining, which usually got her her way.

“Go ahead and tell her, Vicky. She's going to know anyway. Besides, she is our friend. She should know before this gets around the rest of the school.” Teddy was encouraging her, but he didn't realize what was at stake. Victoire bit her lip as she turned toward Rose. They were on the third floor waiting for the staircase to come around so they could go down.

“Well, Teddy and I are together.” The staircase returned and they took the first step.

“Like you're dating?” Rose asked incredulously but at the same time unsure of what she had just heard.

“Yes, we're dating. He sort of asked me out last night. Well, I assumed that was what he wanted to talk to me about, and I guess it was, but—”

“I DON'T CARE HOW IT HAPPENED! HOW COULD YOU?” Rose screeched, tears filling her eyes. She stormed away from them and the entrance to the Great Hall. Victoire turned her tortured eyes to Teddy. He wasn't sure what had just happened and said as much. Ross stated that he didn't care and took off to find her.

“I'll be she went to Myrtle's bathroom. That's where her mother always went to cry!” Teddy called after him. “Now, Vicky, what is going on? Why didn't you want to tell Rose that we were dating?”

“Oh, Teddy, I don't know how to tell you this!” Vicky sobbed into his shoulder. He looped his arm through hers and wiped her tears away with his other hand. He began steering her into the Great Hall. Students were already eating and conversation was buzzing loudly around them.

“You can tell me anything. You know that, Vicky,” Teddy urged. Vicky nodded as they sat down side by side. He took her hand in his and rubbed it absently, trying to comfort her. He didn't understand.

“Rose is mad at me,” she said.

“Yeah, I gathered that. Why is she mad at you? I mean, what could she possibly have to be mad about? Now we're all kind of one big happy family, in a way.” Teddy smiled at her, and she returned it, although hers was watery.

“She's mad,” Victoire said, sniffling, “because she has been dating Ross all this time to make you jealous. I mean, she likes Ross just fine, but she still likes you. She has told me that she wants you back, but doesn't know how to break it to you or Ross. Oh please don't tell Ross. It will crush him.”

“He's probably finding out right now,” Teddy replied grimly. “I mean, how else is she going to explain her reaction to finding out that you and I are together?” Ross came walking up behind them just at that moment. Rose wasn't anywhere to be seen.

“She's just told me everything,” Ross said on a sigh, sinking down beside Teddy. He ran a hand through his hair, making it stand on end. “We talked a little, and I think we're going to try to work it out. But she's still really mad at you, Victoire.”

“Teddy, she's my best friend. What am I going to do?”

“It's not your fault, Vicky,” he said consolingly.

“Yeah, and it's not yours either, Teddy,” Ross said. “Or mine. It's all about what is going on in Rose's mind, I guess, so it's no one's fault but hers. I just don't know what I'm going to do if she breaks up with me. You're lucky, Teddy.”

“How is that?” Teddy asked.

“Well, besides having a great girlfriend, who is someone you've wanted to date for a long time, you don't have parents who are always—” Ross stopped short, realizing what he had just said. Teddy turned his face away, but there was no pretending. The statement had hurt him.

“At least you have parents,” Teddy muttered. He rose and started walking away.

“I was only going to say parents that are always in your business. I didn't mean it like that,” Ross insisted to Victoire. She shrugged and rose to follow him. Neither of them had eaten a bite. Ross was left sitting alone. Rose was still crying in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.

“Teddy!” Victoire called after him. She caught up to him. “Hey, he didn't mean anything by it.”

“Whatever. I'm going out to fly around the Quidditch pitch. I'll catch up with you later.” Teddy slammed the door in the entrance hall leaving Victoire wondering what she was going to do with herself for the rest of the day other than worry about her friends. It seemed now that everyone was mad, and she was just upset. She was beginning to think that she should never have gotten out of bed that morning.