Birthday Bash of the Century
Friday, April 10th, 2014:
By lunch, the whole ploy was rather obvious. His friends were terrible secret keepers at the best of times, let alone when a party was involved. Eric wouldn’t stop giggling like a madman between bites of mash while George kept using codewords that didn’t leave much to the imagination, saying things like “time to deliver those potions notes to Tilly before the big exam .”
It’s April. They won’t have exams for another month.
It’s also not gone unnoticed by Teddy that Colin has been avoiding him all day, even going as far as switching seats with Eric during Defence Against the Dark Arts. It seems the rest of the group has caught on to their unfortunate tendencies to spill secrets to each other. That was bound to happen sooner or later, but it just would’ve been better if all of this tact and foresight blessed his friends after his birthday. And, though he hates to say it, it’s a smart move on their part. Especially since Teddy had already come up with three different methods of prying the information out of Colin before dinner. Then again, just asking him point-blank would have probably worked either way.
It’s flattering, seeing how much effort his friends are putting into all this. It’s also insulting that they think he’d be thick enough to not notice.
It was Victoire’s job to keep him distracted in his dorm after classes while the rest of their friends finished setting up. At least, that’s what Teddy gathered. The door being inexplicably charmed shut with his girlfriend waiting inside, who just so happens to want to “listen to some of George’s records to unwind”, was a bit of a hint.
He doesn’t even know why they’re trying to create an element of surprise in the first place. Teddy already knew the party was tonight and he most certainly knew where it was being held. He was the one who made the bloody venue in the first place. Unless they’re planning a firework show detailing the epics of Beedle the Bard, there’s not much room for surprises on that front.
Yet, they still try their absolute hardest to keep Teddy out of the loop. Here he sits, on his bed in a conspicuously locked room while he realises that they’ve pulled it off. He most definitely feels out of the loop. Wouldn’t even be able to find the loop if he tried, if he’s honest
Teddy decides eventually to just hang up his pride and accept defeat. Whatever they’re planning, it might be best to just let them do what they’re going to do. He wouldn’t mind a few hours to relax before the inevitable madness, maybe even get an hour of sleep or two in the meantime. He can play dumb for as long as they want if that’s the case.
Besides, Victoire just has to tilt her head at him, kind of like she’s doing right now, and he forgets there’s even a party in the first place. Come to think of it, she’s been doing that a lot since they got in the dorm. She’s probably doing it on purpose.
She smiles at him and goes to put on George’s copy of All of This and Nothing .
Teddy looks at the clock. 8:05. He wonders when they’re actually planning on letting him out of here. Unless this is some sort of 16th birthday ritual of being locked into a room without access to food or half-decent booze, this brief stint of incarceration is becoming a bit worrisome.
As the first verse of President Gas comes on, Victoire looks back up at him and returns to her spot on his bed. She grabs a lock of his hair and twirls it in her fingers, staring at the new colour he’s chosen with a softened look in her eyes.
“The blue suits you. Makes you look like a muggle musician.”
“Funny. You aren’t the first person to say that today.” He responds, counting the freckles on her cheeks as they talk.
“Pink might be my favourite on you, though. Sad there’s nothing we can do about that now…” She looks back down at him, holding his gaze as her fingertips trace down the back of his head to the nape of his neck. “...Is there?”
Yeah. She was definitely doing this on purpose.
She kisses him until they’re well into Love My Way , the hazy instrumental washing over them as Teddy tries to commit her lips to memory. Distantly, he remembers this is her favourite song off the album. The melody always makes her sway in place, spinning in slow circles with an angelic serenity. Sometimes, he puts it on just to see the look on her face when she hears the hazy pling-pling-pling of the intro.
He breaks away, feeling the heat still rushing over his cheekbones. He opens his eyes to see Victoire staring right back at him, giving him a warm smile as they catch their breaths. Teddy doesn’t even remember when they started laying down.
“So.” He begins, trying his best not to sound suspicious. “This wouldn’t be a great time to ask what you lot are planning for tonight, would it?”
She freezes for a bit, the relaxed look on her face shattering into a resigned sigh in response. She rests her cheek on the hand she has splayed across the bed sheets, squishing her face slightly as she speaks.
“I really thought I had you there.”
Teddy lets out a light chuckle, almost sad to see her distraction tactics crumble so quickly. He slides himself closer to her, a hand coming up to rest on her hip.
“Yeah, you did. Definitely a valiant effort, that’s for sure. Just maybe try for a little more subtlety next time, will you? It’s better for my ego,” he teases.
Her mouth twitches into a smirk, only growing as she folds inward with the force of the laugh that reluctantly escapes. Putting her hands in front of her face, she laughs into Teddy’s shoulder until she’s breathless. Soon enough, Teddy has no choice but to laugh with her.
Victoire settles finally when she rolls over onto her back, sliding her hands down her face in exasperation and letting them flop down to her sides.
“Could you at least pretend to be surprised when they come to get us? You have no idea how hard it is to keep a secret with them. No offence, but you guys are an exhausting lot to plan around.”
“Oh, believe me, I know that firsthand.”
He means it. There hasn’t been a single party, event, or even walk to the courtyard where they haven’t needed a mediator or two at every turn. Sometimes literally. Bunch of volatile gits, they are, Teddy whole-heartedly included.
He drops his voice a little lower, speaking to her more softly than before. “If it’d make you feel better, you can try distracting me again. Just to see if it catches this time, yeah? I, for one, am very open to being distracted in the near future.”
She rolls her eyes so hard that Teddy can almost hear the sarcastic comment at the back of her head, a smile fixed to her lips the whole time.
“Now you’re just making fun of me! It’s not my fault-”
Suddenly, the door swings open, hitting the wall with a force so strong it could’ve been kicked down.
Before either of them can react, Eric is barreling into the room at full speed, followed by two sets of footsteps Teddy can only assume to be Colin and George.
“COLIN, GRAB HIS LEGS!”
In less than a second, Teddy is surrounded by his friends in what has to be the most terrifying birthday surprise he’s ever experienced. They all reach out and grab him without warning, dragging him out of the bed and hoisting him into the air.
Not without a fight, of course. And fight he does.
“WHAT THE ABSOLUTE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?” Teddy shouts as he tries to shake off his assailants. Merlin, when the fuck did they get so strong ?
“STOP FUCKING SQUIRMING, TED! THIS WILL BE OVER A LOT QUICKER IF YOU DO!” Someone yells back next to his head. He assumes it’s George, but can’t really be sure in the sheer madness of everything.
“Is this really necessary? I mean, just because it’s his birthday doesn’t mean you have to kidnap him,” Victoire counters. Out of the corner of his eye, Teddy can see her shaking her head in disappointment as she grabs one of his legs from Colin. So much for having a supportive girlfriend , Teddy thinks.
Before he can respond, he’s being rushed to the door, his friends gripping him like a battering ram. The switch is so sudden that he doesn’t even have time to brace himself for impact, hurtling towards it with his life flashing before his eyes. As they push through, he can’t say he’s too proud of the scream he lets out, the top of the circular door frame passing mere centimetres from his nose.
They stubbornly carry him all the way through the common room, passing by a group of underclassmen playing cards on the carpet. He looks at them helplessly, barely containing his dignity enough to resist yelling for help. They look back at him shyly, guilt written across their faces. Teddy just can’t believe they aren’t more surprised. This isn’t really a common thing, even in their madhouse of a dorm room.
“...Happy birthday, Teddy,” one of them tries.
Another mouths I’m sorry as Teddy whizzes by.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake.” He responds with a huff. Of course they would’ve been involved. Sure, they’re just bystanders, but they’re guilty by association, in his eyes. He is most certainly not playing exploding snap with any of them tomorrow.
They don’t make it far past the kitchens before his friends decide to put him down, all breathing heavily and red in the face when he finally touches back on the ground.
“I know you guys are a little extravagant, but I really could’ve gone without the royal treatment on that one.” Teddy brushes non-existent dirt off himself, as if wiping away the embarrassment of the past five minutes. Doesn’t do much for his robes, but his pride feels just a bit more intact afterwards.
“Be grateful we didn’t actually kidnap you like George over here was planning,” Colin says with a scoff, seemingly more put together than the boys left gripping the wall behind them. Clearly, this was the lesser of two evils, or possibly three to four evils, so he should probably be grateful. Somehow, that still doesn’t provide Teddy with much comfort.
As soon as he’s earthbound, Victoire comes over and hooks an arm around his, tugging him down the corridor before he can even get his bearings.
“Hurry up, boys, we’re late. ”
“V, can’t you give us a minute ? We aren’t young and spry like you fourth-years anymore,” Eric gasps out, hands on his knees. Seems rather dramatic to Teddy. He’s not that heavy.
“Yeah,” George adds wearily. “Not to mention Ted isn’t exactly the easiest bloke to haul around.”
“Oi! Watch it! Need I remind you it’s my birthday party we’re going to.”
“Yeah, George,” Colin agrees, lightly jogging to catch up to the couple ahead. He turns his head to look back at the boys lagging behind. “Let’s not forget who holds your mental invitation right now. Best not to be making enemies with the birthday boy.” He hooks Teddy’s other arm, walking with the two of them in stride.
Teddy can hear the groan of George and Eric as they rush to catch up behind them. Karma’s a bitch , he thinks, as they begin to skip down the hall, purposefully picking up the pace in a fit of giggles.
***
Awkwardly enough, it took a few times to summon the Room of Requirement this time around. As nervous and excited as everyone was, it was hard to focus on the fact that they actually needed to require the door in the first place.
Teddy himself could barely even organise his thoughts into sentences at the moment, coming way too close to the reality that this could possibly be a disaster.
Parties are amazing, no question about that. Birthday parties are even better, another statement that’s not up for discussion. But what if this party isn’t the “Birthday Bash of the Century” his friends have been setting it up to be?
So many things could go wrong. Not that many people showing up would be the worst of them. Teddy wouldn’t exactly blame them, though, at least not after the whole bouncing bulb incident. Teenagers, Slytherins especially, tended to hold grudges.
What if they did end up coming and the party is a complete dud anyways? They could not be the dancing type. They could not like the music. They could not like Witches’ Brew , for Godric’s sake. Teddy hasn’t even had a drink and he already feels nauseous.
Victoire looks over at him curiously, making that face she does when she’s trying to will herself to read his mind. Thank Merlin she’s not a legilimens, really, because that look alone already has him wanting to spill his every thought out of his mouth without a second of hesitation.
“Alright, Teddy? You look nervous,” she states plainly, goading him for the answer she knows he wants to give. No, he is definitely not alright. Why did they have to make the biggest party of the year his birthday, of all days? Why not have a Boxing Day party or something? Never mind that they’d all be home for it.
“Yeah, Ted, looking a little pale there. And not in a metamorphmagus way,” Eric cuts in, his face turning to a slight worry that pulls at the corner of his mouth. Well great, now he’s making his friends nervous, too. After everything they did to get this party ready, too. It hasn’t even started and he’s already ruining the vibe.
“No, no, it’s fine. Just need to get it over with, I ‘spose,” Teddy responds.
“Get it over with? It’s a party! You have to enjoy it, it’s practically in the name.” George spouts in disbelief, motioning to the blank wall in front of them. Teddy wonders what happens when they’re inside and there’s no one to summon the door on the other side. Are they just trapped until the next sorry fool requires a birthday party? Or is there some sort of failsafe on the other door? Nope, that line of thought definitely makes things worse. Best to focus on the task at hand.
Teddy lets out a sigh of defeat, airing out his last grievance. After a moment, he finally speaks the thought so forward in his mind it's pressing on the back of his forehead. He tries to will every ounce of catharsis into his voice, as if saying it out loud will make it go away, dissipate it into thin air like the colour of his hair or the silvery scars that ran up his arms.
“...What if no one comes?”
His friends seem to collectively sober up, a softness touching their eyes as they look back at him. They’re all smiling, not a hint of worry on their faces. At least, not that Teddy can tell, and he prides himself on picking up on that kind of stuff.
“Oh, thank Godric, that’s what you’re worried about? Had me terrified you were going to take a vow of sobriety or something.” Eric beams back at him, excitement beginning to build on his skin until he’s visibly jittery.
“Shall we go find out, then?” Victoire says, grabbing Teddy’s hand and matching Eric’s smile from ear to ear.
The wall in front of them begins to etch and carve into itself, making way for dark panels of wood and golden accents of the arched frame that breaks through.
Fully forming, so real that Teddy couldn’t deny it if he tried, was the door to the rest of their night, to the last few hours of his birthday. All bright colours over elegant panelling that spelt out the first “ Happy Birthday, Teddy ” of many for the night.
George and Colin both approach the door in unison, each grabbing one of the ornate, golden handles on either side.
“Happy birthday, Ted.” Colin says with a smirk, nodding to George across from him. They both brace their feet on the stone floors, pulling back on the grand doors with a collective huff as they slide open.
The moment the seal of the doorway is broken, A roar of cheers bleeds through like a dam that has finally burst, enveloping the corridor in the sounds of whistles, shouts, and the booming echo of music carrying them through it. Teddy stumbles back at the sheer force of it, whether from the shock or the sound itself rising up to meet him.
Looking through the doorway, there’s a huge crowd of students waiting for him, all standing in waves of coloured hair. Purples, blues, and reds pop out all throughout the mob of people staring back at him. The ones in front are covered in tattoos. Doodles, ravens, lions, all elegantly etched out on the arms and necks that peek through their clothes. As soon as their eyes find Teddy, now somehow standing alone in the corridor, the cheering evolves into absolute madness, everyone yelling their greetings in response.
“Happy birthday, Teddy!”
“Happy sweet sixteen!”
“Get in here, mate!”
Teddy is almost overwhelmed by the feeling of it all. It’s too much but sends a warmth through him like sunlight washing over windows. He lets out a breath and looks over at his friends by the door, matching their smiles for the first time tonight.
“What is all this?” He asks incredulously, hardly able to keep his jaw off the floor as his eyes keep gazing around the room.
“It’s your party, so we thought it should only be you themed,” Colin affirms, looking so absolutely pleased with himself.
He looks back at everyone at the party meeting his eyes with excited grins you could see from a kilometre away. Their hair goes from dark purples to flaring reds in every shade and length, like splatters of paint filling the room and flowing like a calm tide. They all look kind of cool. No, they all look like him . Another rush of warmth swims around Teddy’s chest.
They all look like him.
“It was all Eric’s idea, honestly, but we did have quite the hand in putting it all together,” Victoire chimed in, coming up to Teddy to grab his hand.
Teddy looks over to Eric, seeing a blush rise to his cheeks as he looks down bashfully. The smile on his face fades into a shy smirk, looking proud in a way he’s never shown before. Teddy will never make fun of his ideas again, the genius bastard.
“Ready to go in?” Eric tries, looking back up at him with a softness to his expression
“More than ever.”
He tightens his grip on Victoire’s hand, stepping forward without hesitation into the warm glow of the room, feeling the swell of music rise as the doors slide closed behind them.
***
In Teddy’s eyes, there are only three words to describe what happens next: Pure. Fucking. Magic.
As soon as the doors close, The cheering and yelling comes back in full force, sounding more like a quidditch match than a birthday party. Eric absolutely messed around with a few amplifying charms, from the looks of it. There’s no way there could be that many people, right?
The crowd is a sea of colour and muggle clothes, amassing well past a hundred students. As the music reaches back to full volume, some sort of Walk the Moon song George had likely put on, dancing and singing fills the room with a vibrancy like no other. It’s like the room itself is alive, bouncing decor and laughter from its walls.
Looking above in the nick of time, Teddy catches the blasting and fizzing of fireworks tearing through the air. They take the shapes of birthday cakes exploding into showers of sparks, animals playing chase around the skies, and white, fluffy clouds that shower the people below in bursts of sparkling blues. It’s more marvellous than Teddy could’ve ever expected.
“How in the fuck did you guys manage this?” Teddy asks, raising his voice for his friends to hear over the sheer chaos.
“Where has underestimating us ever gotten you, Ted? I mean, seriously?” Eric yells back with a laugh, the space between them all swelling with streaks of fizzing and popping sparks.
“Now close your eyes, Teddy! It’s time for another surprise!” Victoire sing-songs, voice filled with excitement.
“Close my eyes? With all of this going on?” Teddy retorts, throwing his arms up in a gesture to the growing festivities. There’s no way he would miss a single minute of this. He’s already dedicating all of his mental capacity to storing all of this into his memory, hoping to keep all of this with him.
“Just do it, you tosser!” Victoire comes around behind Teddy to cover his eyes with her hands, close enough he can hear her giggle into his ear. “I promise it will be worth it.”
He lets out a huff of impatience, crossing his arms dramatically to let his friends know that they better hurry it up . Victoire’s hands are cold again, practically freezing his cheekbones solid as she keeps him from looking. He brings his own hands up to meet hers, rubbing warmth into her knuckles with his thumbs.
He hears footsteps come around to Victoire from behind him, talking in harsh whispers he can’t decipher.
The dull pressure of magic presses into the back of his neck, making the hairs there stick straight up. Oh Merlin, what are they doing ?
“Ok! Open your eyes!” George lets out, his words coated with anticipation.
Victoire’s hands fall from his face and he opens his eyes, seeing Eric, George, and Colin standing in front of him with grins almost as bright as the colour-charmed hair on their heads.
Colin, head shining a vivid aqua blue, speaks in a light tone. “I really did think the blue looked brilliant. You think I can pull it off?”
“I’ll say! You look absolutely gorgeous , mate!” George cuts in, wrapping an arm around Colin’s shoulders and rubbing his knuckles into his head. George has picked a deep green, likely from that time he thought Teddy’s hungover colour choice was the fashion statement of the century.
Teddy laughs along with his friends, loving every minute. It’s strange to see them like this, like how they see him every day. It’s also surprisingly comforting in a way Teddy can’t place, like they’re now an official pop band together, one collective statement piece.
Teddy looks over at Eric and sees the bright, fiery red he’s taken on as his choice for the night. It looks rather good on him, Teddy thinks, like it finally matches the fire ever-present in his eyes. All together quite fitting for him.
The crowd around them has surrendered to energy of the party, no longer paying as much attention to him and his friends as everyone begins to go about the room in their own way. There’s even a group that has taken to the stage at the end of the hall, dancing like the whole room is there to watch.
Victoire clears her throat behind Teddy, bringing his attention back to his girlfriend. He turns around, no longer distracted by the glamour of everything around him, and gives her a big, beaming smile in return.
This smile promptly dies out as soon as he lays eyes on her, his face dropping into pure awe as he stares at her. Her hair, its usual shining current of poise, radiates a light pink, one Teddy remembers far too well.
“I said it’s always been one of my favourites,” she tries with hopeful eyes, staring up at Teddy expectantly, waiting for a reaction. Honestly, she might have to wait a while. Teddy can hardly even breathe while he looks at her, barely noticing or caring that he started holding his breath in the first place.
She looks…
“You look–you look absolutely stunning , love. I mean it,” Teddy stammers out, heat rising to his cheeks. Holy shit. He’s dating this girl? Thank Godric to whoever was taking the wheel when that one came 'round, because he’s far too clumsy to have won her over without some sort of divine intervention.
At his response, he sees her mouth twitch, breaking into a smile so big it could light up the room long after the candles have burned out. He joins her, matching her grin as he steps closer. He takes the opportunity to run a piece of hair between his fingers, spinning it to curl around his hand as he looks up at her.
“You like it?” She asks, the look on her face suggesting that she doesn’t even have to ask.
“ Like it?” Teddy slowly slides the piece of hair in his fingers behind her ear, staring straight into her eyes as he does it. He wills a colour forward that he’s never tried to before; thinking of bubblegum, amortentia, and Victoire, Victoire, Victoire…
He barely even has to try.
As he leans down to kiss her, he hears the collective groans of his friends swell over on his right. Despite their dramatics, its does nothing to break the smile he presses softly into her lips. Mock all they want, they’d need an army or two to pull him away from her. Right now, it’s not his birthday, it’s not a Friday night, it’s just her and him and her , standing alone in an empty room as the music soars around them.
She kisses back slowly, as if she feels the room stop at the same time he does. They have all the time in the world, for all he knows. It’s only proper to act like it. He brings his hand up to her face, swiping his thumb across her cheek with a softness she seems to melt into instantly, wrapping her arms around his shoulders in turn.
“Yeah, yeah, you’re both so bloody cute with your matching hair and your snogging and all that shit, but you haven’t even seen the full surprise , Ted.” Eric gripes with a voice dangerously close to a whine, sounding as though he’s about to shove himself between them just to give them a moment to breathe. Teddy quite likes not breathing at the moment. It suits him.
“Vic, you swore you would tone it down! It wouldn’t kill you both to wait five fucking minutes,” George grumbles off to the side.
By the time they break apart, Teddy has to take in the room around them all over again, the fireworks now taking the shapes of honey badgers darting over their heads. This may actually be the birthday bash of the century after all.
“Alright!” Eric starts abruptly. “Now, onto the main event!” He speaks with a dramatic gusto in his voice, waving his hands around in feigned forms of grandeur before grabbing the sleeves of Teddy’s and Victoire’s shirts and bolting for the centre of the room. He drags them along without warning, slipping effortlessly through the crowds of students with his friends in tow.
Reaching the centre of the hall, the familiar twisting and turning tubes of the Witches’ Brew fountain come into view, now framing the clearing where people are lining up to fill their goblets. Thank Godric the fountain made it into the final cut.
Eric pointedly drops the sleeves of their shirts, stopping them in the middle of the clearing, leaving them standing right in front of the fountain in all of its intoxicating glory.
Eric then begins to move faster than Teddy has ever seen, zipping from one point of the small circle of the clearing to another. His movements are almost blurred, hard enough to process in time before he’s moving again, and again after that.
At some point, Teddy notices Victoire is gone, seeing her quickly whisked away from the clearing to stand at the edge of the circle of students still forming. The next second, there’s a goblet in his hand, shining a bright gold against the sickly green liquid that sloshes against its lip. Teddy lifts it up to his eyeline, seeing the slow etching of letters finish spelling out its label.
-Birthday Boy-
Teddy chuckles to himself lightly, looking back up to see everyone standing around in overlapping circles, staring back at him with wide eyes and gentle smiles. He must admit, they really pulled out every single stop they could find, not missing a single detail. And that’s just in the first ten minutes. Teddy can’t imagine what else these lunatics must have in store for later.
Appropriately enough, he doesn’t have to wonder much longer as Eric comes up from his right, slowing down for the first time in what feels like an eternity. In his hands rests a crown, shining a bright silver that seems to catch the light from every angle.
“I know it’s a bit dumb, but we couldn’t resist,” Eric says apologetically, a good-natured grin reaching from ear to ear as he gives Teddy a bit of a shrug.
He lifts his arms up and raises the crown up over Teddy’s head, gently laying it over his tumultuous head of curls, squashing them down in the process. Teddy bets he looks ridiculous . Yet he can’t help from wishing someone was around to take a photo. Of him, of the looks on his friends' faces, of the fountain at least, as Teddy’s sure he’s going to be daydreaming about that thing for a long time coming.
“Happy birthday, Teddy.” Eric beams, looking down into his eyes as he backs away. His face, softened by hints of sentiment and affection, quickly snaps back to downright diabolical as he reaches the circle of partygoers behind him.
He takes a deep breath, quirking his eyebrow to Teddy in a way that seems to say I’d say sorry, but I know you’ll forgive me eventually , and lets out a booming shout.
“ONE!”
“TWO!” Victoire and Colin join in.
“THREEE!” George finishes with the rest of the crowd.
Teddy could’ve blacked out from the absolutely ground-shattering rendition of Happy Birthday that followed, surrounded on every end with screaming, singing, and hollering. As the song carried itself throughout the hall, songbirds soared through the air, landing on the fountain behind Teddy in organised rows. They joined in, somehow louder than all of the students combined, leading them through the verses in a myriad of whistles and coos.
Eric darts over to the fountain, using his wand to conduct the choir of birds in front of him. With a flick of his wand, they all break into a three part harmony, their conductor only missing the sold-out concert hall and three-piece suit.
Oh. So that’s why he needed the songbirds. Nice touch.
The song carries on for two more rounds, only growing in magnitude and enthusiasm with each time. By the third, Teddy thinks he ought to put a stop to it, if only out of fear of actually splitting the stone floors with the sound alone.
He waves his arms in an attempt of a casual gesture telling them to maybe calm the fuck down , which seems to do the trick as the crowd erupts into a swell of cheers. The only thing is now they are completely silent, all looking at Teddy expectantly. If he didn’t know any better, he’d think they were waiting for him to make a speech. Funny, since that is absolutely not going to happen.
Colin comes over excitedly, wand pointed towards his own mouth like a microphone as he swings an arm over Teddy’s shoulders.
“So?! Anything to say, Teddy, mate?!” Colin's voice echoes across the room, the amplifying charm carrying it from wall to wall like an announcer at the Quidditch World Cup.
He points the tip of his wand over to Teddy, waiting for him to say something. That slimy bastard . Colin knows full well that Teddy hates speeches, and the look on his face implies that he doesn’t really care. Well shit. Better to keep this short and sweet, yeah?
He breaks into a nervous grin, thinking of only three words that could be worthy enough to start things off. He clears his throat, the sound bouncing off the walls in booming waves, and slowly leans towards Colin’s wand.
“LET’S FUCKING GO !!” He shouts, hearing his own voice call back to him from every corner. The moment it leaves his lips, the rest of the partygoers go absolutely mad . There have been full-blown riots started with less enthusiasm.
He raises his goblet in the air in an unspoken toast and promptly downs it for the whole party to see. They meet his toast instantly, whooping and cheering as they go to drink along with him.
Teddy stands there, Witches’ Brew dripping down his chin, looking out at his favourite people in the entire world, and the intro to Rebel Rebel begins to fill the air. The crowd evolves into shouts and gasps as the room becomes charged with a vigour only a good riff can bring.
Merlin, this is going to be one Hell of a night.
The next hour quickly becomes a blur of colours and David Bowie songs. Firewhiskey spills on his pants, which surprisingly doesn’t burn. Colin finishes three drinks in under a minute, the last one being a stolen shot from someone nearby. George drunkenly stumbles through an explanation of how he got the iPod to play for the party, all of which Teddy got none of. Soon enough, they all get enough drinks in them that the night dissolves into laughter and pure, unadulterated stupidity.
Colin takes a never-before-seen liking to firewhiskey after that, challenging anyone within a ten-metre radius to a drinking competition. The fact that he keeps losing doesn’t even seem to deter him, his face the epitome of diplomacy all night.
Next thing Teddy knows, Colin is snogging Penelope Redwood like his life depends on it. Merlin, are they even breathing ? Seems a bit too late now to check. Definitely a surprise on Teddy’s end, but who is he to ruin the fun?
It’s only when Teddy turns back mere minutes later, now spotting Colin snogging Sebastian Alvarez , that he does a bit of a double take. Even in his slight stupor, he can certainly tell that that’s a new development. Unless Colin had some secret, forbidden romance with a guy over Christmas holiday, it’s likely a new development for him , too. The fact that Teddy was none-the-wiser until now does point some fingers to the latter. Although, not being sober, that seems like a conversation that is far too involved for tonight. It’s definitely in everyone’s best interest that Teddy lets his friend slag around for a bit until they can have a mature enough coming-out moment between them in the morning.
Curiosity peaked, he looks around for his other friends, stepping away from the group of Ravenclaws he was talking to to wander throughout the crowds.
The festivities are still in full swing, Train in Vain by The Clash resounding throughout the room as the crowd sways and spins like dancing winds. It seems like the people in the room begin to act as a unit, everyone slipping into debauchery at the same pace. The movement gets more animated, the chatter devolves more and more into fits of cackles, all with a constant, laid-back air that seems to flow from one person to the next. Teddy feels closer to these people, almost, knowing that they all shared this with him.
His eye catches on a tuft of dark green hair over by the table of unclaimed goblets, fixing his eyes on George as he talks to Tilly. He has an almost focused look in his eyes as he talks to her, seemingly rambling on as she carelessly runs her fingers through his hair. It doesn’t even seem like she’s really paying attention, just staring up at the hair between her fingers as she nods along to whatever he must be saying. They’re a strangely perfect match, in Teddy’s eyes, in a way where no one specifically knows why or how they got together in the first place.
He keeps looking around to no avail, the only trace of his friends left in the room being Sebastian standing alone with two goblets in his hand, scouring the room just as Teddy is.
Grabbing another drink from the fountain, Teddy feels himself sobering up and getting drunker all at the same time. He feels fairly lucid, thoughts running their course as usual, but he does suppose walking is a bit more difficult. Only a tad, though, not anything he can’t handle.
He lifts his goblet up to his lips as Victoire suddenly appears from the crowd, running up to him and abruptly wrapping her arms around him. It’s a good thing Teddy’s got some of his bearings still about him, or else the entire contents of his drink would’ve become what they were both wearing for the next hour. Just in time, he drops the cup on one of the tables nearby before disaster has the opportunity to strike, instead locking his arms around his girlfriend in return, looking down at her with contented satisfaction.
“Teddy! I’ve been looking for you for ages ! How’s the party, darling?” Victoire hums at him, a slight slur working its way into her voice. She’s clearly been enjoying the party as much as the rest of them, seeing as she’s never called him darling in his life . He quite likes it, though, feeling a light brush of warm nerves rest softly in his chest as she says it. If Teddy didn’t know any better, he’d think she was drunk. Rightfully so, since this is her first official party with Teddy and his friends, so it’s only proper that she makes the best of it.
“It’s absolutely brilliant , V. I can’t believe you lot have managed this.” He can’t help his voice from growing soft as he talks to her.
They start casually swaying. Whether from Victoire or himself, he can’t really be sure. Eventually, they are spinning around their section of the floor in idle circles, resigning to a sort of slow dance.
“If I’m honest,” she starts, “it was mostly Eric to thank for the party. We all had our ideas and little touches, of course, but he really put forward the brunt of the work. I mean, there are spells he used for this party I didn’t even know existed ! Our friends are a bit too crazy when it comes to a party, don’t you think?”
And there it is: our friends. Not just her boyfriend’s friends, but outwardly admitting to being part of their rather unpredictable group. Surprisingly, it leaves Teddy a little speechless in the moment, rendering him to just stand and stare at Victoire. In her varying degree of intoxication, though, she doesn’t seem to notice, letting out a hiccup before continuing to ramble on.
“–Not that you shouldn’t thank me endlessly for my efforts, perhaps with a snog or two. That’s absolutely not what I’m saying, in fact. That’s very much still on the table, so to speak, just for the record. I’m just saying that you should find him at some point tonight and-”
She doesn’t get the rest of her sentence out before Teddy cuts her off with a kiss, pulling her into him without warning. She lets out a slight squeak in surprise, her goblet slipping out of her hands and dropping somewhere on the floor behind him.
He doesn’t care, he’ll get her another one. He’ll get her a hundred for a bit more of this. She seems to have the same priorities, ignoring the fallen cup in favour of running her fingers through the pink curls at the nape of his neck. Godric, he wants to scream from the tallest tower in the castle that Victoire Weasley is the most amazing girl he’s ever met . He doesn’t think he’ll have trouble telling Bill after all. If it’s important to her, he’ll do it in a heartbeat. There’s no doubt in his mind Bill will come around eventually. Time is theirs, after all, and he has no problem spending it anywhere he needs to for her.
She breaks apart after what feels like far too soon, looking back up at him with a look overflowing with joy.
“I’ve told you before that I love you, right?” She asks him, nonchalant as asking about the weather.
Teddy’s mouth goes dry, feeling his stomach flip as his lungs almost freeze solid.
“N-no. You haven’t.” Teddy sputters out with a breathy laugh in disbelief. Somehow, he resists the urge to let out a victory yell. It’s his party, so no one would really notice, but he doesn’t want to do or say anything that will take him away from this moment right in front of him.
She quirks her eyebrow like she’s curious as to how it hasn’t come up before. She’s so pretty that his head is going fuzzy. He might faint.
“Then I ‘spose now’s a good a time as any.” She states definitively, a smile resting firmly on her lips.
Somewhere off on the other side of the room, the thunking of a lively baseline rings out, piecing together an intro that makes Victoire gasp in surprise.
“Oh shit , No Doubt is playing. I’ve got to go, I promised Eric!” Victoire quickly explains with wide eyes and a rush of exhilaration passing over her expression. She immediately turns on her heel and darts towards the stage at the north end.
She takes two steps before hesitating, making an abrupt stop like she’s forgotten something. She turns back around to Teddy, dashing back to give him a quick peck on the lips, smiling at him with a hand patting his chest.
“OK, bye!” She says.
It’s over as soon as it happens, Victoire once again racing to the stage, pulling out her wand as the intro comes to an end.
She jumps up onto the stage in a flourish of pink hair and scattered movements, automatically facing towards what she has now deemed as “the audience”. Wand at the ready, she opens her mouth with a deep breath as the voice of Gwen Stefani comes out to match her own.
Take this pink ribbon off my eyes
Her face is resting in a cool, aloof expression, like she has no other focus than the words that leave her mouth. Head turned down slightly, she looks at the audience as she brings a strip of pink hair from her shoulders to rest in front of her eyes, letting it drop as the next line falls off her tongue.
I’m exposed and it’s no big surprise
Don’t you think I know exactly where I stand?
This world is forcing me to hold your hand…
At the last line, she reaches her hand out to Teddy from afar, a playful glint in her eyes. She’s commanding attention from each end of the room, walking around the stage with a confidence that could only be from liquid courage itself. Then again, Victoire would never hesitate to do this sober, either. She’s a Gryffindor through and through, kicking up flowers without a second thought and coming back to apologise only seconds later.
She delves into the chorus with a charged spite, as if the song was her own, crossing the stage again and again to point, prod, and stomp her way through the words.
Oh, I’ve had it up to here!
Victoire looks pointedly down at the audience, at someone in particular. Her mouth cracks into a toothy smile and she reaches a hand out to the mass of people in front of her. Teddy can’t see who grabs it but watches her pull a man with bright red hair up onto the stage. He’s beaming back at her, wand in his hand and a deep blush pressed into his cheeks.
As the next verse comes in, Eric takes over for Victoire and sings with a fiery attitude that rivals her own, getting down on his knees before the third line is even over.
The moment that I step outside
So many reasons for me to run and hide
I can’t do the little things I hold so dear
‘Cause it’s all those little things that I fear…
The crowd erupts into a fit of cheering while Victoire and Eric share the chorus, maintaining electrified eye contact as they sing into their wands. Truly, they sound amazing together, their voices melding into one like sides of the same coin.
They continue to sing and shout in unison, a thunderstorm of sound and frantic dancing as they match each other's energy bit by bit. There’s not a person in the party left that’s not egging them on, eyes glued to the stage as Eric and Victoire round out the end of the chorus
They settle for a moment, the air heavy with their quickened breaths. The song seems to smooth out with them, returning to that same thunking baseline that carries itself throughout the room. They take turns, singing the words to each other more than anyone else.
Teddy can’t help but think how bloody cool they both look, shining up there effortlessly. Victoire practically glows the moment she opens her mouth, her voice spilling out in ribbons that seem to ensnare anyone close enough to hear. Eric mirrors her in charm and talent while looking relaxed as ever, his cheeks red enough to match his hair that it brings a goofy smile to Teddy’s face.
Victoire turns to look out at Teddy, breaking the tension that has built in the room. Without breaking eye contact, she sings to him with a hand over her heart in disingenuous innocence.
I’m just a girl…
Eric copies her, hand running through his hair dramatically as he follows her eye line. He looks at Teddy with a jovial smirk, that same look in his eyes that says I’d say sorry, but then I’d be lying .
I’m just a girl, in the world…
They grab hands and turn back to each other, yelling their hearts out.
That’s all that you’ll let me be!
Teddy starts the uproar of cheers this time, letting out loud whistles and bringing his hands together hard enough to sting. He can’t seem to stop laughing, even though he can’t really tell what’s funny about all of this. Maybe he’s just happy to be here, cheering on his friends in a birthday crown, watching them absolutely decimate a No Doubt song.
They finish out the song with their voices barely loud enough to reach over the clapping and shouting of the rest of the partygoers. They both take grand bows, relishing in all of the alcohol-soaked attention. Victoire raising her wand a last time.
“Happy birthday, Teddy!”
This is met with only more shouts and echoes, fading into the music as the next song plays.
The party seems to relinquish itself to the realm of karaoke very quickly, people taking turns with wands for microphones as they belt their way through the songs on Teddy’s iPod. Now that he thinks of it, Teddy has no idea where that fucking thing even is . He’s sure it’ll turn up soon. Otherwise, it would be quite painful to explain to his Gran how he lost perhaps the best gift she’s ever given him within 24 hours.
Songs come and go, drinks go around and around until they’re all properly dizzy, ending in a group rendition of Roam by The B-52s to round out the night.
They sing and drink until it's just Teddy, his dormmates, and his girlfriend, all slumped on the stage together, sleep stubbornly weighing at their eyelids.
“–You guys know what?” Colin slowly mumbles out, eyes dropping to a dangerous degree, “I love you guys…like so much.”
George perks up from his position of laying on the floor, tilting his head in Colin’s direction.
“Colin, mate, you are so fucking nice , man. Like, I wanna give you a big hug sometimes, but you’re, like, too cool for hugs, you know?”
Colin’s head drops down in the direction of George, a smile tugging its way through the hazy look in his eyes. “George, my good man. You can absolutely give me a hug. Anytime you want, just be like ‘ remember that time you told me to? ’ and I’ll say ‘fuck yeah, mate, come ‘ere’ .”
“Thanks, mate.”
“Anytime, bruv,” Colin says, his accent slipping more and more the longer he stays awake.
Victoire interrupts the moment between them with a loud yawn, curling up into Teddy’s shoulder as she grabs lazily for his hand.
“Alright, boys, think it’s time to get back to the dorm, yeah?” Teddy says as he catches her yawn. They better move fast before it’s too late. The floor is already looking far too comfortable.
His friends let out grumbles in agreement as they all begin to slowly stand, everyone hanging on to each other for support in some way or another. By the time they all get up, they’re standing in a line all slumped over one another like a house made of playing cards. Teddy takes up the right, with Eric on the left, the more plastered of the group just hanging on in the middle for dear life. They hobble to the door as a unit, barely able to squish through it together without having to walk through sideways.
It takes 30 minutes for them to make it to gryffindor tower, partially carrying Victoire over to the portrait that acts as the door to the common room. The Fat Lady in the painting seemed to be sleeping, dressed in a gaudy nightdress of seafoam green feathers and tulle. Ok, but to be quite fucking honest, are they actually fucking sleeping right now? They’re paintings for fuck’s sake.
“Hey. Miss Painting Lady. Please wake up,” Teddy says tiredly, nudging Victoire with the shoulder she was currently leaning on. “Hey, V, say the password.”
She mumbles something incoherently into his arm, not bothering to look up.
“Huh? You’ve got to speak up a bit, love.”
She lifts her head just enough to speak. “Erm, thistlebincher , I ‘fink.”
“You’ve got to be fucking kidding,” Eric comments dryly. “All the cool phrases in the world and you crimson pricks choose thistlebincher ?”
“Says the guy with red hair,” Teddy retorts, turning back to the portrait.
They turn back to the painting in front of them and are greeted with nothing but silence, the slow rise and fall of the woman inside not stuttering in the slightest. This is a cruel joke, right? They’re all about five minutes from death, at least it feels like five minutes, and here they are stuck blabbering to a paint lady in her nightie. Couldn’t there be a failsafe, a second painting that was a bit of a night owl? Wizards are just too much sometimes.
“Um. Excuse me. Miss? Um, thistlebincher ?” Teddy tries, the woman in the portrait not even flinching. He groans in annoyance, most certainly not having the patience for this right now.
As if reading Teddy’s mind, George surges forward with a look of tested patience. His mouth turned into a deep scowl, he lets out a huff and slams his fist against the portrait's frame, shaking the painting in its entirety with the sheer force of it. It even makes Teddy jump a bit, it’s so abrupt. Leave it to him to mean business even when he can barely stand up straight.
“Oi! Paint Lady! thistle-FUCKING-bincher !” He roars out, continuing to knock on the frame until the Fat Lady yelps out a response. It takes less than a second to get her attention, the sound quickly stealing her from her sleep. Thank Merlin for that, honestly, because George looked like he was about ready to toss the painting over the railing of the staircase.
Shooting up in shock, the Fat Lady yelps out a response.
“Good grief , I’m trying to sleep!”
“Yeah, so are we! So please shut the fuck up and thistle your damned bincher,” George clips out with a bit of extra bite in his voice. Teddy has never seen him act with this sense of urgency before, not even when he lit himself on fire in charms last year. Now he’s actually starting to worry for the Fat Lady’s life. Or canvas, if he wants to get technical with it.
The painted woman lets out an appalled gasp, yelling out some sort of curse that falls out of earshot as the door starts to swing open. Thankfully, they don’t have to listen to her much longer as they lug Victoire over to the couches in the common room, her feet stumbling and shuffling over the shaggy carpets before falling lifelessly into the worn cushions. Unfortunately, this will have to do, seeing as no boys are allowed in the girl dormitories.
They say their goodnights and head back for the entrance, all except for Teddy. Sticking around long enough to watch the portrait door shut behind his friends, leaving the room delicately quiet. It makes his ears ring, like they’re trying to reach out for a sound to keep them occupied.
Finally alone, Teddy presses a light kiss into Victoire’s temple. She’s already out cold, shifting slightly as she murmurs something softly in turn.Her arms come to wrap around herself, a shiver shaking its way free from her bunched-up shoulders. Always cold, that one.
Turning over to the fireplace in front of the couch, he pulls out in wand to whisper out a quick “Incendio”, a spark flying out to relight the dying flame. Satisfied, he stowes away his wand into his back pocket, grabbing one of the quilts thrown over the nearest armchair to drape over her.
“Goodnight, love,” he says as he turns back towards the door, joining his friends on their great odyssey that is the egregious amount of steps they’ll have to stumble down on the way back to the kitchens.
After what seems like ages, they all make it back to the dorm in one piece, not a word spoken between them as they shuffle through the rounded door. As they all get ready for bed, the only sounds to be heard are the occasional creaks of the wooden floors and the opening and closing of the bathroom door as they all take their turns brushing their teeth.
George doesn’t even bother with any of the necessities, simply slumping into his bed face-down with his shoes still on. Eric, chivalrous even when half-conscious, comes over with a sigh to take them off. He brings the blanket over George slowly enough to not wake him up, dragging his feet over to his own bed before collapsing into it in a similar fashion.
After brushing his teeth, Teddy walks out of the bathroom and turns out the light, slipping into his own bed like a sack of bricks. He didn’t think it possible to be this tired after a party, but the liquid cement in his limbs seems determined to prove him otherwise. Old age comes with a price, he supposes. It’s only when he starts to finally doze off that anyone decides to speak up again.
“Hey, lads?” Colin tries lightly, testing to see if anyone was still awake.
“Yes, Colin?” Teddy replies cautiously. He's praying this isn’t one of those moments where he starts crying and rambling about how much he loves them all. Teddy loves him too, no doubt about that, but Merlin was it exhausting to deal with after 1 in the morning. Especially now, because he’s pretty sure he’ll start to downright hallucinate if he doesn’t get to sleep in the next thirty seconds.
“I kissed someone tonight.”
“A lot of someone’s, from what I saw,” Teddy says with a chuckle.
“And one of them was a guy . Like a full-on bloke .” Colin says, a finality in his voice that wasn’t there before, like he was admitting something while realising it for himself at the same time. The energy in the room seems to vanish as he says it, the air growing still as it waits for him to tell it which way to move.
“...And how does that make you feel?” Eric asks, words stepping very carefully through the darkness between their beds.
Though Teddy has his eyes closed, he can still hear the smile on Colin’s lips when he finally replies.
“Pretty fucking wicked, if I’m honest.”
George groans from his section of the room, the rustling and wrestling of his bedsheets quickly cutting through the subdued air of the room.
“Jesus Christ, you lot sound like such virgins .”
“George, we are quite literally all virgins,” Teddy retorts, tone light but sharp. Between his words, he tries to mentally chastise George for ruining what seemed like an at least semi -important moment for Colin and them. Read the room, yeah?
“Yeah, but at least I don’t act like it,” George lets out with a huff, the sound of shuffling and shifting of bedsheets suggesting he’s turning back around to sleep.
A silence takes hold of the room for a moment, George’s drunken musings bouncing off the walls until Colin huffs out a quiet laugh. After a beat, they all crumble into fits of soft chuckles, matching each other’s laughs as they all doze off for the night. It seems to squeeze the last bit of joy out of the day, nothing left in the air but the veil of sleep wishing to wash over them.
Teddy, in his semi-conscious state, wonders if there was any way he could keep reliving this day over and over, never changing a thing. That would be perfect.
***
And by this time tomorrow, Teddy will wish for nothing more than to return to this moment, this day, where things were still perfect. He’ll spend far too many days after wishing time was his again, just like it was the day he turned sixteen.