Slug CLub

32. Teddy/Victoire

"It matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."

Teddy hung his head as he sat on the ledge of the garden, his teal hair hanging over his forehead and into his eyes. It was cold, but he always sat out under the full moon when he could. He replayed again and again what the Slytherin 7th year had said to him before they left for the holidays.

Teddy landed on his butt in the hallway between the Hufflepuff common room and the potions classrooms, the older Slytherin he'd slammed into landing a few feet across from him. As he started to gather his books, the Slytherin had grabbed him by his tie and jerked him to his feet. Putting his face inches from his own, he'd hissed.

"I don't need some halfbreed knocking into me, Lupin." Teddy, scared out of his mind at being handled like this by the older boy, had paled and his hair had gone pale with fear. The Slytherin sneered at him. "Such a freak." The boy had thrown Teddy back to the floor then and stormed away.

"Ted?" Teddy's head whipped around at the quiet voice. Victoire walked across the garden and sat down next to him on the ledge. "Are you alright?" she asked quietly. He let his head hang again, playing with a tear in his jeans.

"Why do I have to be so different, Vic?" he asked after a long while. She looked at him curiously, but he didn't look up as he continued. "Why do I have to be such a....such a freak? Why couldn't my parents just be normal witches and wizards? Why can't I just be like everyone else? Why.." Victoire grabbed Teddy's face and turned him to look her in the eyes. He stilled as he stared into her pale blue eyes, sadness darkening his own. She met his gaze unwaveringly.

"Teddy Lupin, how dare you call yourself a freak." She cut Teddy off as he tried to protest. "Nope, I won't hear it. You are the kindest, bravest, most intelligent boy I've ever met in my life. You know more at 17 than most adults do. You give dad a run for his money, and you know it." Teddy continued to stare at her. She rubbed a thumb across his cheek. "And as for your parents? Dad's told me about them. You're dad was a brilliant man, and immensely kind to everyone he met. You mum? She was a very promising auror. You have absolutely nothing be ashamed of, not now. Not ever. And anyone who tells you otherwise can answer to my Bat Bogey Hex." He actually gave her a small smile at the last part. She leaned forward and kissed his nose gently. As he leaned forward and pulled her against his chest, he spoke so that only she could have heard him.

"You're amazing, you know that?" She smiled up at him.

"I'm just telling you the truth. Just because you were born to two people who were unusual, doesn't mean you are any less of a person. You are you and your parents and family don't determine that. Only you can.  He smiled down at her. She tiptoed up and kissed him again. This time, he slid his hands up her back and wove his fingers into her long hair. She smiled into the kiss, leaning into him. After a few moments, he pulled back from the kiss, keeping his lips just a few inches from hers.

"Let's go inside, yea?" He said against her mouth, subtly rolling his hips against hers. "I feel like I need to show you just how I do things." She laughed softly, but jumped off the wall, pulling him by the hand behind her. They tiptoed up the stairs to Teddy's attic room, careful to not wake any of the Potters or Weasleys in the house. As they slipped into the low ceilinged room, Victoire walked over and looked at Teddy's drawings over his desk. She smiled to herself as she heard the lock click into place and the whisper of a silencing spell going onto a door. She didn't, however, expect the arms that came around her waste and pop her off the floor. With a squeak, she was carried over to the bed and laid down gently. As she smiled up at him, he swept his shirt over his head and gently eased onto the bed next to her. He cupped her face and pulled her to his lips for a deep kiss. As he did, his fingers let go of her cheeks and traveled down her neck to her shoulder, then to her arm, then slowly his fingertips traveled to her breast. He smiled into the kiss as he felt only her nipple under her thin night shirt, no bra. He traced his finger around her nipple lazily, causing her to arch her back into his hand. Flicking a finger over her nipple, he lazily traced across her sternum and repeated the process on the other side. As she moaned softly into his mouth, his hand started drifting farther, across the expanse of her stomach and onto her hip. As he reached the waistband of her pajama bottoms, he broke the kiss and looked at her.