our universe

- E D G E O F S E V E N T E E N -

Teddy stood at the kitchen counter, busy brewing a pot of coffee. He'd let Juniper sleep in for her birthday, also he never had the heart to wake her. She just looked so pretty when she was asleep, and her bedhead- Teddy loved her messy hair so much. It always smelled like fresh lilies and linens.

At the breakfast nook, Victoire, and Leo were wrapping presents. Charlie had gone out to get some scones from the local bakery, and he should be back shortly. It wasn't a very long walk.

"Think she'll like it?" Victoire asked earnestly, holding up the giant t-shirt plastered with Stevie Nicks' face and the lettering Edge of Seventeen. Stevie Nicks was one of Juniper's favorites, and the song was just all too fitting for the occasion.

"She's gonna love it, Vic," Teddy answered with a thumbs up, dumping the coffee beans into the grinder. Why couldn't Junie just like tea? That was a much simpler process.  Charlie returned from town, also toting two sparkly tiaras for the birthday twins.

Teddy had struggled a long time trying to find the best gift for Junie. There was just so much pressure now that he was her... boyfriend. Teddy was still having difficulty processing that.

Teddy knew that the typical relationship gift was jewelry or flowers, shit like that. But Juniper was far from typical, and he knew that she never wore jewelry and roses made her sneeze. So he was at a loss. Then, finally, a couple weeks earlier when he'd been at Grimmauld Place getting his stuff ready for the trip, he'd found it. The perfect gift. Junie was gonna freak.

There was a creak on the stairs, and a crop of black hair popped into the kitchen. James waltzed into the kitchen, still in his rumpled clothes from the night before. This was the first they'd seen him since Rory's confession.

Teddy and Leo wolf whistled the second he entered, Charlie doing a slow, appreciative clap, "Here he is, ladies and gentlemen, the man."

James reddened, holding a finger to his lips to quiet them down. "Oh shove off you pricks, nothing happened," he whispered. James poured a cup of tea, which Teddy assumed was for Rory.

"Mate-," all the boys viewed him skeptically, "the two of you have been holed up in that room all night. And on the beach before then."

"Shhhh," James hushed, pointing toward the ceiling, "she's still sleeping."

"Late night then?" Charlie waggled his eyebrows suggestively, making a kissy face.

James socked him in the arm with his free hand. "I swear nothing happened!" he insisted. "We talked for a bit, and then she fell asleep, so I took her to bed." He glanced at Teddy, "Sorry for forcing you to sleep with Junie by the way. I didn't mean to kick you out."

Leo snorted under his breath, coughing loudly to cover it when Teddy caught him.

"Took her to bed, did you?" Charlie smirked into his own cup of tea. "Potter, you sly dog."

"No!" James exclaimed, shaking his head vehemently. "She was drunk- we were both drunk. I didn't want her doing something she'd regret in the morning. I stayed to make sure she was okay, and she didn't throw up or anything. I slept on the floor. Nothing happened. Honest." He sighed, "I wouldn't- not while she was drunk. I'm not going to be that guy. If she still- I'm not going to sleep with her just for kicks, you know?"

Victoire's mouth formed the shape of a small 'o', one hand on her heart, "Oh my merlin."

Teddy clapped him on the back heartily, "A damned prince, I tell you."

"I'm not- it was just the right thing to do," James ducked his head, embarrassed.

"The only member of the male species I don't despise," Leo said with a shake of his head.