Chapter 7
Classes at Hogwarts had ended for the day, and they had only had one class. Teddy and Victoire were chatting with a boy they had met, Zack.
"What house are you in?" Victoire casually asked the boy, not noticing his uniform.
"Hufflepuff," the boy replied just as casually.
"Go Hufflepuff!" Teddy and Zack high-fived.
"How do you know so much about magic? There wasn't a single thing you didn't know!" Zack might be a Hufflepuff, but he had the intelligence and curiosity of a Ravenclaw.
"Let's just say that in the future, classes are a bit more advanced, and besides, we've already graduated in our time," Victoire replied simply.
"And we also didn't have as many incidents during our school years," Zack approved of what Teddy said. They hadn't had a peaceful school year in a long time.
"What do you work as? Or what are you studying?" Zack wanted to get to know them better. He didn't have many friends, which was unusual considering he was a Hufflepuff.
"I'm studying to become a healer, and Teddy started as an Auror a few months ago." Teddy and Victoire were walking hand in hand, with Zack walking next to Victoire.
"What do you want to study?"
"I want to be a healer and help people," Zack commented dreamily.
"I can teach you a few things if you want, although you'll forget them later." Zack grinned from ear to ear at the girl's offer.
"YES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT!" Victoire and Zack started talking about the differences between magical and Muggle medicine, while Teddy listened but didn't say anything.
"Vic, I see my parents over there. I'm going to meet them." Teddy was nervous; he was about to meet them.
"Can you do it alone? Do you want me to go with you?" Teddy smiled gratefully, loving that girl more than words could express.
"No, I can do it. And besides, how long has it been since you've had a decent conversation about medicine?" Victoire laughed.
"Alright, see you in a bit." Victoire and Zack continued on their way to the Great Hall, chatting animatedly about the healer career.
Teddy began walking toward where his parents were talking with McGonagall.
"Sorry, Lily, I didn't see you," Teddy had bumped into Lily.
"No problem, Teddy," Teddy noticed that Lily was with Hugo and Louis, and saw that the three of them were in a hurry to leave.
"What are you three up to?" he wanted to tease them.
"Nothing," the three of them denied at the same time and left. Teddy then closed the distance between him and where his parents were.
"Hello, Professor McGonagall, Remus, Tonks," Teddy wasn't sure how to address his parents.
"Hello, Teddy," McGonagall greeted. "I'd better be going," she said as she turned around and left.
"Hello, son," Remus greeted him.
"Hello, Teddy," Tonks greeted him. The three of them fell into an uncomfortable silence. What was one supposed to do when meeting their parents who had died?
"I suppose you want to know how...?" Remus and Tonks looked at each other.
"We want to know everything, but not just how we died. We want to get to know you, we want to know about your life." Tonks spoke calmly, but she was holding back tears, the thought of a child they hadn't been able to raise consuming her inside.
"And what about that girl?" Remus tried to make the situation less awkward, and he succeeded.
"You'll meet her soon, she's the best," the three of them walked to a shady spot and sat down to talk. This would be a long and perhaps somewhat sad conversation.
"Where do I start?"
"From the beginning," Tonks replied. Teddy laughed.
"You had me a few weeks before the Battle of Hogwarts, just days before your deaths." No one said anything. "Dad asked Uncle Harry to be my godfather, and he happily accepted. When you died, he always took care of me." Remus and Tonks smiled. "I'm not entirely sure how you died, but from what I've been told, you couldn't let everyone fight to defeat Voldemort without you." His parents flinched at the name, but Teddy paid no mind. "You went to the battle, leaving me with Grandma Andromeda. All I know is that you died together." Remus and Tonks held back their tears. "Since then, I've lived with Grandma, and every week Uncle Harry would take me with him and take care of me for several days, along with Aunt Ginny. At first, Aunt Ginny wasn't always around, but eventually, she moved in with Harry, so Grandma could rest, and finally, a few years ago, I moved into Harry's house." Tonks and Remus squeezed each other's hands. "I had a happy and fulfilling childhood; all the Weasleys, Harry, and Grandma made sure of that," Teddy remembered those days with nostalgia.
"Do you have my... p.p.p?" Remus asked in a whisper, even though everyone already knew.
"No, Dad, but I am a Metamorphmagus." Tonks smiled, and Remus let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding.
"That's my boy." The two of them high-fived awkwardly.
"Is there anything you want to know about me?"
"How did you meet that girl? She seems to have you head over heels." Teddy smiled, lovestruck.
"We've known each other forever. She was born when I was one, and when I was four and she was three, we became best friends, and that never changed—well, until the day I finally worked up the courage to tell her how I felt." Teddy told the story with a smile on his face.
"I want to hear that story," Tonks sounded like a gossiping teenager. Teddy loved it; his mother was just like Harry had described her.
"I can show you," Teddy offered.
"How?"
Both of them looked surprised.
"With this," Teddy removed his earring and connected it to the charm on his bracelet, forming a portable Pensieve. "This is a portable Pensieve; it doesn't exist yet in this time. You connect two parts, and it forms a Pensieve that includes all of its owner's thoughts, which is why it's separated into two parts, so it's not so easy to steal someone's thoughts. Of course, when someone dies, it stops working, and if you don't want someone to see certain thoughts, you can alter what the person sees." Tonks and Remus stared at the device, amazed. "Well, it works just like a regular Pensieve; you just have to dip your head in." Remus and Tonks did so.
A 16-year-old Victoire and a 17-year-old Teddy appeared, sitting by the edge of the lake.
"Hi, Vic, what are you doing?" Teddy greeted her, sitting next to Victoire.
"Hi, Ted, just reading," Victoire closed her book, marking the page.
"Always reading, you." They both laughed, then fell silent. "What's up, Ted?"
"Nothing, can't I just come see my best friend?" Victoire rolled her eyes
"Yes, you can, but you’re acting strange," Victoire looked into his eyes.
"I can’t believe how well you know me," Teddy nervously fidgeted with his fingers.
"You can tell me. When haven’t I listened to you? Or when have I ever told anyone something you’ve confided in me?"
"Never, but... um... I don’t know how to say it," Teddy was more nervous than he had been on his first day at Hogwarts.
"With words," Victoire could be a proper lady, but with Teddy, she didn’t need to be; she could just be herself.
"Ha ha," Teddy laughed ironically.
"Come on, tell me," Victoire urged.
"Well... um... I like you... and I don’t want our friendship to be ruined because of it. If you don’t feel the same way, we can just ignore this conversation. I’ll forget what I feel, and we’ll stay friends and..." Teddy was cut off by Victoire’s lips pressing against his. They parted after several seconds; it was a tender and delicate kiss.
"Ted, I like you," Teddy didn’t say a word. "I really like you, a lot. Do you want to be more than just best friends?" Victoire didn’t know where she found the courage to tell Teddy everything.
"Yes, I’d love to," Teddy replied, relieved. They sat in comfortable silence for several minutes, both processing what had just happened. "YOUR DAD IS GOING TO KILL ME!!" Teddy suddenly blurted out, making Victoire laugh.
"I don’t doubt he’ll try," Victoire replied, still laughing. "But don’t worry, I won’t let him hurt you." Teddy joined in the laughter with his now-girlfriend.
Everything blurred, and Tonks and Remus emerged from the Pensieve.
"That was so sweet," Tonks said first.
"One of my favorite memories," Teddy seemed like he never stopped smiling.
"Just as roundabout as your father," Remus pretended to be offended.
"Hey!!" Teddy looked slightly confused.
"Don’t act surprised. It took you an entire year to accept that you liked her." Teddy remembered the story; Molly had told him a couple of years ago.
"Don’t insult me; I’m not as slow as Dad." Teddy joined in on the joke.
"Sure," Tonks said sarcastically. "How long did you like that girl before you told her?" Teddy and Remus both rolled their eyes.
"The girl has a name, and it’s Victoire, and maybe I liked her for a couple of years." Tonks laughed.
"Just like your father," Teddy couldn’t help but feel happy.
They spent hours talking, sitting there, making up for the time they never had. Teddy told them about his life, and they shared theirs. They didn’t seem like parent and child; they seemed like friends, and at that moment, that’s what they needed to be.
"BOO!" Victoire appeared behind Teddy, trying to scare him—or so she thought.
"Hi, Vic," Teddy turned around and kissed his fiancée, who sat next to him on the grass.
"I can never scare you," Victoire complained.
"No, you can’t," Teddy looked at his parents, who were watching the situation intently. "Vic, meet your in-laws." Victoire greeted Tonks and Remus.
"This is so unfair; it’s not fair that I have four in-laws. I’ve already had enough warnings from Aunt Ginny," Victoire joked.
"Don’t complain, Vic; you don’t have to deal with an army of Weasleys," Teddy countered with his own joke. Remus and Tonks watched the scene in confusion, which Victoire noticed.
"You win, I have nothing to complain about," Victoire whispered something in Teddy’s ear, and he nodded.
"You didn’t get our joke?" Tonks and Remus shook their heads.
"Why would you have four in-laws? That doesn’t make sense," Tonks was confused.
"Ma, Pa, Harry and Ginny officially adopted me a few months ago, so they’re Vic’s in-laws too." Tonks’ eyes welled up with tears.
"I don’t know how to thank Harry and Ginny for taking care of you. And what were we thinking, leaving you and risking our lives?" Tonks was already in tears, and Teddy hugged her.
"Dora, you were thinking about ensuring your child grew up in a better world, with less evil. You made sure your child had a good life if something happened to you." Victoire timidly approached Tonks and opened her arms, and they shared a tender, brief hug.
Tonks wiped her tears and regained her cheerful demeanor. "Engaged, huh?" Teddy and Victoire laughed; this woman could change moods in an instant.
"Yes, Dora," Victoire responded, beaming.
"Please, call me Tonks."
"Alright, Tonks," they were getting along well.
"How did it happen?" Tonks really seemed like a gossiping teenager.
"I think Vic knows that story better," Victoire smiled and, removing both earrings, formed her Pensieve. The four of them placed their heads in the Pensieve.
A younger Teddy and Victoire were walking through a Muggle shopping center.
"Vic, why are you so distant?" Victoire didn’t answer. Teddy waved his hand in front of her face several times.
"What happened?" Victoire snapped out of it. "Sorry, I’ve just got a lot on my mind." Teddy shrugged it off with a wave of his hand.
"It’s okay. Is it something I should worry about?" Victoire shook her head, but Teddy wasn’t convinced. "I don’t believe you. What’s going on?" Victoire loved how much he cared about her.
"Nothing’s wrong, really," Teddy still wasn’t convinced.
"If you’re not feeling well, we can watch the movie another day," Victoire went pale. "Vic, you’re pale; you’re not well. We’re leaving right now." Teddy was very worried.
"No, no, Teddy, I’m fine," Victoire tried to persuade him not to leave, but it was in vain.
"Vic, you’re in the last few months of your studies to become a Healer, and you can’t afford to get sick. I won’t allow it. We’re leaving."
"But..." Victoire didn’t know how to convince him that she was okay.
"No buts. I’m taking you home; you’re going to lie down, and I’m going to make sure you’re alright." Teddy was exaggerating, but there was no way to make him understand.
"TEDDY, I’M FINE," Victoire shouted in exasperation.
"Vic, calm down. You asked me to take care of you these last few months because you knew you’d forget about your health with all the exams and everything on your mind, and that’s what I’m doing. We’re leaving." Victoire couldn’t resist that; it was true. She had asked him to take care of her, but she was fine—just nervous. But there was no way to make Teddy understand that without ruining the surprise.
"Alright, let’s go," They both left the Muggle center and Apparated to Victoire’s parents’ house. In a few months, they planned to move in together, but for now, they each lived with their respective parents, waiting until they were both working.
"Hello, dears," Fleur greeted them as soon as they arrived. No matter how many years she spent in England, she still had her accent. "I thought you’d be longer." Fleur was more excited than usual. "How did it go?"
"Mum, we didn’t get to watch the movie," Victoire cut off her mother.
"Oh, why not?" Disappointment was clear in her voice.
"Vic wasn’t feeling well, and I had to make her come back and rest for a while," Teddy explained.
"I ALREADY TOLD YOU I WASN’T FEELING SICK," Vic was losing patience. Everything was going wrong.
"You can say whatever you want, but I promised to take care of you, and I think being pale isn’t a sign of being well." Fleur looked at her daughter compassionately.
"You can have a nice time together here, chat and relax while Vic lies down in her bed and rests." Fleur winked at her daughter, who understood what her mother was implying. Maybe not everything would end badly.
"That sounds good to me. Do you mind staying and keeping me company?"
"If you stay in bed and rest, it’s great by me." They both entered the house and went to Victoire’s room, where she lay down on her bed and Teddy sat in the chair beside it.
"I don’t think there’s any way to convince you that I’m okay, and I appreciate that you’re taking care of me, but today you ruined everything," Teddy looked at her, confused.
"What did I ruin?" Victoire got up from the bed, ignoring Teddy’s requests for her to lie down, and pulled out a small box from her coat. "What’s that?" Victoire approached Teddy, and there, in her room, she knelt.
"You ruined the beautiful proposal I had planned, but oh well, not everything goes as planned. Will you marry me?" Teddy just stared at her.
"Yes, I’d be a fool to say no." Victoire stood up, and they wrapped themselves in a tender kiss. "Sorry for ruining it." Victoire laughed.
"It’s okay; you didn’t know I was nervous." Teddy nodded.
"If I had known you were nervous, I wouldn’t have worried. Every time you’re really nervous, you turn pale." They both laughed.
"How do you know me so well but still couldn’t realize I was feeling fine?"
"I don’t know."
"I love you so much. I couldn’t have chosen a more perfect person to spend the rest of my life with."
"Same here."
"I think we should go tell my mum that you said yes. She must be dying of anxiety."
"She knows?"
"Yes, she didn’t really like the idea of me proposing, but after I explained that times were different, she helped me plan everything. But my dad still doesn’t know."
"Damn it, you should have told him before proposing to me," Teddy joked.
"It was in case you said no, so he wouldn't kill you," Victoire justified herself.
"I would never say no, and besides, you would kill me if I did." They both left the room, and the memory faded until it disappeared.
"OHHHHHHH," Tonks was truly a gossiping teenager in all her glory.
"That's so sweet, Victoire," Remus commented, having not spoken much since his son's fiancée had arrived.
"Thank you, Mr. Lupin."
"When do you plan to get married?" Remus asked.
"In a year or two. We want to wait until we're financially stable," Teddy answered.
"Yes, I graduate as a Healer in a month, and Teddy is already working as an Auror. From there, we'll see how life goes," Victoire continued.
"That's very smart, you two," Remus said.
"We have to go; we have a meeting with the Order," Tonks and Remus said their goodbyes. "We'll be back one of these days, we promise." They left.
"They're amazing," Teddy said as he watched his parents leave.
"Yes, they are," Victoire confirmed. "We should head to the Great Hall." The two of them started walking.
"How’s Zack?" Teddy asked, seemingly uninterested.
"Great, he knows a lot about magical medicine and also about Muggle medicine. His parents are doctors in the Muggle world," Teddy listened attentively, loving to hear her talk about something she was passionate about. "There are many things that don’t exist in our time yet, and it was really fun explaining them."
"It was about time you found someone who shares your passion for medicine," Teddy joked.
"Yeah, I don’t know why in our time no one is as passionate as I am."
"I don’t know, but I’m sure that when you start working at St. Mungo’s, you’ll have plenty of people to talk to about medicine."
"I love that you’re not jealous."
"I’ll take that as a compliment, and I never would be. Jealousy is something I hate. You can talk to whoever you want, just like I can. We both have different passions, and it's not the same to discuss them with each other as it is with someone else who shares the same passion. It's a different conversation..." Teddy stopped talking. "Sorry, Vic, I just can’t help giving these speeches when it comes to jealousy; I hate it." Victoire laughed.
"I love you so much." They entered the Great Hall and sat at their respective tables, Victoire with her cousins and Teddy with Zack.
"Hello, Zack."
"Hi, Teddy. How did it go with your parents?"
"Good, thanks for asking and for saving me a seat." Teddy sat down.
"No problem, thanks for sitting with me." They would definitely become friends, but it was going to be hard to say goodbye.