Chapter 40
Teddy and Victoire settled nicely in the grand Potter Manor. They had each been set up with a room down the Hall from James and Sirius. They had thanked Dorea and Fleamont so many times but they would hear none of it. They had hearts full of love and generosity for everyone, no exemption for James' friends.
About a week from the end of school, Victoire had been taking a break from the boys and was sitting with Dorea and talking to her about her year at Hogwarts and gossiping about her son and what he'd been up too.
"I have to say Victoire," she said "I am so great full for you right now. I only ever get the abridged version of his year from James himself and there is only so much I can get our of Sirius. They're sweet boys but I know the trouble they can get up to together."
Vic supressed a laugh "I have to say, it's been a while since I've hear anyone refer to James and Sirius as sweet. But yes, they love to cause trouble for Professor McGonagall."
"One thing I'm desperate to know, is about Lily Evans. Sirius has told me that James has been harassing the poor girl for a date. I have to say I'm sure she's glad that schools over for the bunch. Seven years of a boy not taking a hint can't be much fun."
"Lily is a friend of mine, actually. She's an amazing person but I'm sure James told you that." Victoire assured her.
"Oh, you just try and get him to shut up about it!" Dorea threw her hands in the air. "Tell me Vic, do you have a boyfriend?" Vic looked at her in surprise. She had thought Dorea knew about her and Teddy.
"I do." She said simply.
"Than you know what it feels like for someone to always have your back." Vic nodded "That's what I want for James. For Sirius too. I love my boys, but sometimes they just seem oblivious to anything to do with love. Sirius won't chase a single girl, instead he dates whoever come his way. James is the complete opposite. Hell only chase one girl that clearly doesn't want him and ignores anyone else."
Victoire almost laughed again. She opened her mouth to explain about James, but before she could a loud bell sounded through the large manor. The noise of six heavy feet pounding down the stairs soon followed.
"Expecting anyone, James?" Dorea called to the boys. Victoire got up and followed the noise to the front door. James threw the door open and within a second had his arms wrapped around the redhead on the other side.
"Let the girl breathe, Prongs." Sirius told him with a laugh.
"Well I'm sorry if I'm happy to see my girlfriend." James let go of Lily. Lily laughed.
"James, it's been barely a week." She told him.
"We'd better get going if we want to make drinks with Remus and Alice." Lily ushered them out the door. They all aparated to the Leaky Cauldron and let themselves in.
They joined the large table that already held Remus, Alice, and Frank.
"Hey!" Sirius called across the room. Remus stood and they shared a quick hug. The whole group sat around the table with the three couples sticking together. "Marlene didn't make it?"
"She's helping her aunt with something or other." Remus said
They laughed and talked the night away with stories of the year gone by. Frank was a bit of an odd man out, having missed the year's stories but laughed along at the silly and good times. He even shared a couple stories of his own from his first year of Auror training.
James and Sirius, both hopeful Aurors, drilled him on everything they thought they needed to know to do well. Frank assured them a multitude of times that they would be fine. They seemed unsure but nonetheless let the subject change.
Later in the evening, Alice excused herself to the washroom and Lily followed. Frank signaled for the others to lean in.
"I want to ask Alice to move in with me." He said quietly. "I just don't know if she'll say yes." Frank lived alone in a flat in Chelsea
"Man that's huge!" James exclaimed "Congrats!"
"Do you think she'll say yes?" Frank asked with a rare bout of self doubt.
"Of course!" Sirius cried "Have you seen the way the girl looks at you? If you asked her to marry you she'd say yes!"
"Marriage?!" Frank exclaimed "I'm only 19, she's only 18! Far too young for that sort of thing. Maybe down the line..." he trailed off
"Down the line isn't the way to think about life right now." Teddy grumbled. The others, save his girlfriend, stared at him with scared and slightly confused faces. "I'm just saying, with the war and all, you never know what's going to happen tomorrow. You might not have the mind to think back to the good times down the line." Teddy paused. He could tell he wasn't cleaning things up as well as he hoped. "I'm not saying propose or anything. Just... treasure every good moment. Things are going to change."
"You say that like you know more than you're letting on." Frank stated dubiously.
"You have no idea." Vic told him.
That night, once they had all retired to Frank's flat for one last round of drinks, Lily and Alice still oblivious to Frank's plans, Victoire and Teddy told him about their home. Like the others, he was slow to believe, but later, he trusted them fully.
(A/N: I updated all my current stories yesterday. It felt kinda good. Also, my laptop is still a piece of garbage so we're going to have to get used to me updated solely from my phone. I guess it's not as bad as I make it seem, writing on my phone, but I still don't like it as much. I'll do my best. I promise. -Jul)
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Teddy and the Marauders
Fanfiction**Book 1/4 in the TATM series** Teddy Lupin awoke on the hard concrete of the Hogsmeade train station to see the face of someone he knew to be long dead. He soon found that his best friend, Victoire, was there too. Where was "there" exactly? 1977...
