How To Tame A Gryffindor

Chapter 6: Risky Rooftopping

"What in Merlin are you doing here?!" Teddy half whispered, half shouted . Victoire threw back her head and laughed.
"Relax," she said in a chilled, amused voice.
"If my Nana hears you, we'll both be toast," Teddy said, frantically.
"Then lower your voice a bit," Victoire responded.
"How did you know where I live anyway?" Teddy asked, slightly worried.
"Well it was difficult because it's hard to concentrate while flying by broom but I watched the direction that Brain flew in the other night and just followed that direction. And then I was about to give up and I saw you sitting on the roof." She grinned at this too.
"Won't your parents be worried?" Teddy said, panicked.
"Probably, let's hope they don't find out," Victoire said, with a joking dark tone.
Teddy was baffled. This girl, who was ignoring him merely hours ago, had flown to his house despite the life long trouble she risked if she was caught.
"So what's so important that this was necessary?" Teddy asked, concerned, going to sit beside her.

"I feel bad. I didn't handle today's situation very maturely and I am here to apologise," she said, looking sheepish.
"You know, you could have just waited until work tomorrow." Teddy said smiling.
She laughed, showing all of her pearly white teeth.
"The guilt would have eaten me alive by morning," she said earnestly.
She stretched back, propping herself up with her hands behind her back. She was wearing plaid pyjama bottoms with sneakers and a Gryffindor jumper, her long hair hanging loose down her back. She looked carefree, despite the fact that at any moment, her parents might wake up and find out that she was gone. Perhaps this is what it's like to be brave, Teddy thought.

Or insane.

"You probably don't remember the tenth anniversary party, do you? Or the flower," she said matter of factly.
"No I do!" Teddy almost yelled, and then cursed himself for sounding so eager.
Vic smiled at his enthusiasm.
"Good," she said, gazing at the moon. Teddy lay on his back, with his arms behind his head. Suddenly the urge to sleep was overwhelming. Vic seemed to feel this way too, as she rested her blonde head in the nook of his neck, her arm draped across his chest.
After a while, Vic sat up.
"Your heart is beating really fast," she said, tracing a finger around the epicentre of his heart.
"Oh...I...um...sorry..." Teddy mumbled apologetically. Vic smiled lazily and shushed him before laying down where she was before, and Teddy slid his arm around her shoulder.
They stayed in the dark for hours without speaking a word. No words were needed, Teddy thought. Everything he wanted to say was translated by his rapid heartbeat underneath where her warm hand lay. Teddy fell in and out of sleep, and so did Vic it seemed, for he could hear soft snoring at points through the night.
Then birds began to chirp, and the sun peeked daringly from behind the horizon.
Vic pulled Teddy's hand up with her own and planted a stolen kiss on it. Then she got up with incongruous haste, grabbed her broomstick and flew away without a second glance.
Teddy watched her fly into the sleepy, summer dawn, more baffled than ever.