Chapter 3
Victoire shuffled through the train, wishing she could’ve stayed in her cousin’s compartment. Then she remembered that Wyatt Thomas would be there soon, and Jamie was in a mood and took back her wish. She finally made her way to the front of the train, where Teddy was alone in a compartment labeled “Prefects”. She knocked, mostly because she was capable of being polite unlike the rest of her family.
Teddy’s head shot up, and his expression lightened when he saw her. “Vic,” He breathed, standing and pulling her into a hug. “Boy, am I glad to see you.”
“Hello Teddy.” Victoire wrapped her arms around Teddy. “How are you holding up?”
Teddy shot her a look and she laughed. “Of all the people-” He muttered.
“I’m upset about it too Lupin, don’t even worry.” The two jumped, and Victoire turned to see MJ Sinclair at the compartment door, looking deeply unhappy. “But it is what it is so can I request you shut up about it?”
“MJ,” Teddy said. He paused. “Uh, sorry.”
“You’re forgiven.” MJ dropped her book bag and rolled her shoulders. “Well, your girlfriend is here, at least we have one of our prefects.”
“I’m sure the rest will be here soon,” Victoire said when Teddy didn’t say anything. “How was your summer?”
MJ glanced at her like she couldn’t figure her out. “Peachy,” She said. “How was yours?”
“It was nice, very relaxing.”
“I’m sure. Can we stop with the pleasantries?”
“Happily.” Victoire said. Teddy winced. “Are you Gryffindor’s quidditch captain again this year?”
“Yes. Why, want to try-out?” MJ scanned her, her expression unreadable.
“No,”
“I thought we’d given up on the pleasantries.”
“This is self-serving,” MJ said. “My cousin is trying out.”
Something crossed MJ’s face. Regret, maybe, but it was gone too quick for Victoire to figure it out. “Worried I won’t let him on?”
“Yes, actually.” Victoire said.
“Vic-” Teddy cut in. MJ interrupted him, and Victoire wondered where the manners in the compartment had gone.
“Don’t worry, I’m not risking my shot at professional quidditch, no matter how much I may wish to not be around anyone connected to the Weasleys. I’ve seen him play, he’s good. He’ll make the team unless somebody better shows up.” MJ glared at her. “Tell him I said that and I’m cutting him.”
Victoire blinked. That was exactly what her uncles had said she’d do, yet she hadn’t thought MJ would admit it. “Thank you,” She said quietly. MJ scoffed, but was saved from answering by Ian Flint showing up. He was a Gryffindor prefect, Victoire's year, and loud. Loud and clueless, which meant he cut the tension in the room easily.
“Sorry I’m late MJ! Ran into your sister and her friends.” He grinned at her. “Heard you went to the States this summer.”
“My mother wanted to visit some family, dragged the rest of us along.” MJ said flatly. "Lucy loved it, Dad and I thought that our extended family is too loud.”
“Oh, you’re just boring Emmie,” Lucy Sinclair swept into the apartment, Aisha Patil following her. “I found Aisha!”
“‘Lo MJ.” Aisha said. “Heard about your summer, sounds like fun.”
MJ snorted, but soon the apartment was full, and she no longer had to talk about. Teddy leaned in. “Didn’t know Lucy made prefect,” He murmured in Victoire's ear.
“Dom will be thrilled,” She said. He laughed, and she grinned at him. MJ coughed, and suddenly the room quieted down. Victoire made eye contact with her, and MJ shrugged, unrepentant.
“Let’s get this meeting started,” She said. “So that I can relax. Which as you all heard, through my darling little sister, I did not get to do this summer.” The room chuckled. “I’m MJ Sinclair, your head girl this year. Teddy Lupin is your head boy. He is presently hiding behind his girlfriend, probably because he’s afraid I bite.”
“She does,” Lucy said, grinning. MJ scowled at her, and she snickered. Teddy groaned lowly, and then stepped out from behind Victoire.
“Yes, hello all. Let’s do this so I can hang out with my girlfriend in peace.”
“Glad to see your priorities are straight.” MJ said, but allowed Teddy the floor regardless. Victoire half-listened as the two laid out the patrol schedule for the train, and reminded them of their responsibilities in getting their houses, particularly the new first years, to their dorms.
“5th years, we’re asking you to take the lead on that so the rest of us can wrangle the upper years who refuse to leave the feast.” MJ said. “We’re meeting with the headmistress after everyone’s settled in to get patrol schedules for the week. We’re all off tonight, they start tomorrow. Happy start of term, that’s all from me.”
“Me as well,” Teddy said. “Lucy, Braden, you’re taking a lap first. The rest of you are free to go.” He winced as there was a minor explosion, followed by loud laughter. “Um,”
“I got it,” Lucy stood gracefully. “Braden, come on.” Braden Parkinson stumbled after her, tripping over the door on the way out. Victoire sighed.
“That was probably my cousins,” She muttered. MJ snorted.
“It was definitely your cousins,” She corrected. “No one else is determined to get detention before arriving to Hogwarts.”
“They’ve decided they have to live up to my uncle’s records,” Victoire said, unsure if she was defending her cousins or worse, commiserating with MJ Sinclair.
“Well, I’ll live up to my father’s and assign them so many detentions they won’t have time to cause trouble.” MJ said, determined.
“Your father was a prefect?” Victoire asked, aware Dominique would kill her if she didn’t ask. MJ shot her a look as she collected her things.
“Head boy, actually.” She said. “He was very proud when Lu and I got our letters this year. Enjoy your train ride.” And then she vanished. Teddy gave a low whistle after the rest of the compartment had cleared out.
“Were you just civil with MJ Sinclair?” He asked. Victoire shoved him.
“She was civil with me,” She said crossly. “Come on, we have to go find Dom.”
“Why?”
“She’ll be interested to know their father was a head-boy. She can’t find anything about him.”
“She looking with the name Sinclair?” Teddy asked as he followed her down the train.
“Of course,” Victoire said, rolling her eyes.
“That’s why.” Teddy said. Victoire stopped.
“What?”
“They’ve got their Mum’s maiden name as a last name,” Teddy said, tugging her forward. “MJ mentioned it in muggle studies a few years ago. I dunno what their Dad’s name is, but he doesn’t use it and neither do they.”
“No wonder we can’t find a male Sinclair.” Victoire said. “I suppose she didn’t mention anything else?”
“Oh, loads, that class forces you to share. Their parents worked in the ministry during the war, then quit afterwards and went muggle. That’s why they go through the barrier, they were raised muggle. They’re purebloods, or close to it, but their parents gave up magic after the war.”
“I wonder why,” Victoire murmured.
“I don’t know.” Teddy said. “Maybe Dominique will.”
“No,” Victoire said. “But she’ll have theories. She’s full of those.” She sighed. “This is going to be such a long train ride.”
“They always are,” Teddy said. He laced his fingers with hers, and kissed her cheek. “Come on, it’ll be fun. I love listening to your sister talk.”
“Don’t lie.”
“Okay, I love sitting with you while I tune your sister out.”
“Better,” Victoire said. “You can braid my hair.”
“Sweet,” Teddy pumped his fist. “See, fun already.”
Victoire knew the rest of the ride wouldn’t be, Dominique would be worked into a tizzy over this, but she figured it was better than getting yelled at by the Sinclairs, which was probably what Freddie, Eli, and Georgie were doing right now. “Can’t wait,” She muttered, and resigned herself to the next few hours.