Being Parents

Epilogue

The sun was already setting in the horizon as me and Vicky sat under a tree not far from the Burrow. It was my last day of summer before I went off to Hogwarts tomorrow morning. Nana Weasley had done a big get together yesterday with everyone, where Tobias and I heard from every member of the family and way-over extended family good luck wishes to our first year and that they hoped we got into the House we wanted. I'm pretty sure uncle George is running a bet around it, just like everything else in this family. The newest bet was if Audrey would be having a boy or a girl, ever since she announced her second pregnancy yesterday.

I was kind of relieved that Tobias was going with me instead of going by myself, but the dread of him going to a different house than me was consuming both of us. I had equal chances of being on either Hufflepuff or Gryffindor if you consider my parents and add up my godparents, but Toby shots were all concentrated in Hufflepuff. And I did want to go to Gryffindor. 

The saddest part of it all was not just to leave my family (or what was left of it anyways) behind, but not spending practically everyday with Victoire. After tomorrow (auntie Fleur convinced uncle Bill to let her come to the platform with us), I would only see her again at Christmas. That was awfully far away. 

Today, Nana Weasley insisted to have a farewell dinner for me with just our close family, although not everyone came. Percy and Audrey were missing because baby Molly was apparently sick while George and Angelina had already compromised with auntie Angie's parents to go out to dinner. 

Vicky and I escaped for awhile out here in the orchard. I wasn't bearing anymore of mummy's sadness for letting me go. As if the whole thing wasn't sad enough, Vicky had been awfully quiet the whole weekend long, barely acknowledging me at all and just nodded when I suggested we came out here.

"What's on your mind?" I asked after the silence between us had been too much for me to bare.

"I'll miss you, Teddy." I turned my head to my left side and saw a tear running down her face. I placed my arm around her shoulder and brought her closer.

"I will too. But you'll be going there too, soon enough." I tried to comfort her. "That's what I've been trying to tell myself anyways."

"School is going to suck now." Vicky remembered, sobbing into my chest. I guess she had been holding all of this the whole month. She refused going with me and Tobias to Diagon Alley and had avoided me for weeks, except for the family gatherings.

"Why did you avoid me though?" I inquired, recklessly. "I know you are upset, but we'll get through. I've known you ever since you were born." And that was literally true. I was with Ginny (or so I am told) when Fleur's waters broke during the Battle of Hogwarts Anniversary ceremony. It's actually quite ironic that my best friend, one of the people I love the most, has been born on the same day my own parents died. It seems a tad sarcastic too.

"I'm afraid you'll meet some other girl and she becomes your best friend or whatever." She nervously laughed, seeming to ease down on the crying.

"I won't, Victoire. I'll be waiting for you and together with Tobias we will rule that castle."

She pushed me away to look into my brown eyes. "And Dom, James and Fred won't be able to beat us! We'll be legends, won't we, Ted?" 

"You bet." I laughed. "With our Quidditch skills and our evil brains, we'll be loved by everyone!" It had been a couple of years already since we gave up from being these perfect children, that no one expected to mischief. There was no fun in it. Although I aspire to be an Auror, and how auntie Hermione likes to stress out, it is important to have good grades, I want to have fun as well. My father was one of the Marauders, for crying out loud.