The Secrets of the Map

So Close

After charms class, Teddy dragged his feet towards the Common Room. He had considered going to the Great Hall for dinner, but then he remembered his Charms essay due tomorrow and decided to just grab a snack. Having a Common Room in the same corridor as the Kitchens was always a plus. Ever since he had stood up against a bunch of seventh-year Gryffindor gits for harassing some house elves, he had become a favorite in the Kitchens, and they were always happy to provide for him.
Indeed, when he stopped by, he was greeted by a bunch of beaming smiles and cheerful greetings from the steamy kitchen. He always loved walking in to the smell of roasted vegetables and meats-in fact, the atmosphere kind of reminded him of Aunt Molly's house, with busy bodies everywhere, loud chatter and a great smell of food wafting towards him. "Evening, Mr. Teddy!" Pipsy chirped. As her name suggested, she was tinier than the others but still had a high-pitched voice that was surprisingly loud when she needed it to be.
"Would you like the usual beef stew and bread pudding, then?"
"That's be fantastic," he admitted bashfully, grinning at the large crowd gathering. It was hard to ignore his groveling stomach. "Work's been good, then?"
"Oh yes, Mister Teddy!" Pipsy agreed happily. "We got a raise too, since most of us have reached the five year mark."
"Congratulations," Teddy replies politely, the grin stretching wider. He couldn't help feeling proud that he knew Hermione, the very woman who had advocated for House Elves to receive equal pay and treatment. While some still were brainwashed into believing receiving pay and freedom was a disgrace, most of the House Elves here accepted the equal pay warmly after the Battle of Hogwarts. "Did you guys finally go to the Three Broomsticks to celebrate?"
"Yes, but it was very crowded," Pipsy emphasized. "And that butter beer should really come in smaller glasses-"
"Or you should take smaller sips," Kinky spoke up-a short but sticky fellow with a thin nose and hairy ears. "Pipsy was so-well, tipsy,
we had to carry her out!"
"Was not!" Pipsy denied while the others snickered.
Thankfully, Teddy was saved from replying by the arrival of his food. Already his mouth was watering. "Thanks again, mates."
"Anytime, Mister Teddy! Good luck studying!"
They pushed the plates into his hands happily, and with a playful wink he was ushered out. It was a little tricky to tap the right code on the barrel while balancing plates, but somehow Teddy managed to do it.
As the door swung open, Teddy just about jumped out of his skin. Instead of an empty Common Room facing him, Victoire was sitting on a chair at the far end. He couldn't see her face, but her shoulders were shaking. Was she laughing...? No. There were gasps coming out. Victoire was...crying?
He thought about leaving, assuming she wanted privacy, but something made him stay rooted right where he was. For some crazy, insane reason, he couldn't turn away.
   It's not that hard, feet, he thought angrily. Move Backwards, come on...
They didn't listen to him. Rude feet.
Unfortunately, Victoire had noticed him by now. "Oh hello, Teddy." She wiped her face hastily. There were still tear marks trailing down her cheeks, but neither one acknowledged them.
"Hey," he returned, sitting down opposite from her. He set the beef stew aside on a table, ignoring the animal clawing his stomach. "Are you...are you alright?"
Immediately he kicked himself. Of course she wasn't alright, anyone who wasn't blind could see that. But strangely, she didn't seem exasperated by the question.
"Yes. Well...no, not really."
"Ah." He couldn't tell whether she wanted to talk about it or not. "What's wrong?"
At first she hesitated. Then... "You know how Dad gets hate mail from work?"
Teddy's mouth dropped open. "He...what?"
"You didn't hear? Ever since this werewolf incident went over the papers, he's gotten quite a lot of nasty letters from coworkers. All rubbish, really, but one of them went too far."
Teddy's head spun. He hadn't even known the story had made the papers, but he should have. It'd be hard to keep an incident like that quiet. Still, he couldn't help feeling surprised. Bill didnt transform into a werewolf. Couldn't people understand that? Honestly, how hard was it to pick up a book? "Is he okay?"
"What? Oh, yeah, Dad's Fine. The problem is someone sent him a cursed object in the mail, and Dominique accidentally touched it. She's in St. Mungos now- Mum's letter said she's paralyzed and her veins are bulging yellow-she can barely breathe."
Teddy's stomach sank to the ground as he pictured this. Oh God-not Dominique. If she was in St. Mungos, it had to be bad.
He tried to imagine it. The little girl that always wanted to see him morph his mouth into a duck beak and quack for her. The one that always annoyed the other kids with her constant singing and questions. The one he had given a piggyback ride to only weeks ago, now paralyzed on some hospital bed. It didn't add up.
He barely heard Victoire continuing her story, and suspected that she was babbling without realizing it. "St. Mungos is trying to help, but even they don't know what's going on. Something about how they don't know goblin magic as well." Her hands shook as she covered her face. "If anything happens to her-"
"Nothing will happen to her," Teddy insisted, crossing the room to grab her shoulders with his hands. He knelt on the ground in order to be at her eye level and gently pried her hands away. "Victoire, look at me."
She gave a laugh that sounded like a hiccup. "I look horrid."
It was hard to hold in his exasperation. "That's not possible. You've always been stunning."
Her eyes found his, surprise and gratitude shining in them. For a brief moment, Teddy became lost in those eyes brimming with tears and had to remember what he was about to say. Honestly, it was unfair how beautiful she was when she cried.
"The Healers know what they're doing. Your dad has connections at work, and they can help him figure this out. And Dominique may be young, but she's tough. Remember when she broke her arm when fell while climbing? She barely blinked. If she can stand that, then she'll definitely be able to fight this."
Victoire gave a wobbly, thankful smile in return that was a faint echo of her usual joy. "Thanks, Teddy," she whispered, and placed a hand on his cheek before kissing his forehead.
As her lips met his skin, every muscle in his body tightened as electricity shot through his whole being, and his brain seemed to forget how to function. Snap out of it, he scolded himself furiously. Her mum's French, they kiss all the time, it's no big deal. And yet, when she pulled away, the tender feeling of her lips lingered on his forehead.
Suddenly it was hard to meet her eyes. To cover up his awkwardness, Teddy hastily amended, "Anytime. Do you want some of this?" He nudged the bowl, and she shook her head. "You should get some sleep, though-you look like you need it."
She nodded, but Teddy thought he saw a faint look of disappointment trace over her face. As she made to rise from her chair, he leaned back, trying hard to stuff down the words threatening to burst out of him.
Unfortunately, he lost control when she reached the stairs. "This is the wrong time," he admitted, stopping her in her tracks. "But...I have to ask. Did that... kiss at the station mean anything?"
A heartbeat, and Teddy watched her face carefully, his thumping heart threatening to explode in panic as her expression morphed into faint amusement. "What did you want it to mean?"
     Was that a yes? Why were girls so confusing?
    Eventually, she admitted, "I only did it to get rid of Henri. But I can't stop thinking about it."
   The fact that she just admitted that made Teddy perk up way more than he should have. To hear the prettiest, bravest girl he knew admit that... "W-what?" Oh fantastic, a word. Let's try for an actual sentence now, shall we?
   Wait-maybe she meant that she couldn't stop thinking about how wrong that kiss felt. Maybe it felt like she was kissing a brother. Or...maybe, maybe she actually had feelings for him.
    It was a tough call.
   "What do you think Henri sees in me?" She asked quietly, and his head jerked up in surprise. To his relief, her face had twisted into the utmost loathing and disgust.
   He hesitated before admitting, "To be honest, he probably just thinks your gorgeous, which is true. But he's a git for not appreciating the rest of you."
    "Rest of me?"
    "You're brave, and not afraid to speak your mind. Ever. You're smart, and always ask questions to understand things better. The way you care for others-for your sister, for your friends-makes you incredibly loyal as well. You belong in this House more than anyone else. And that doesn't just make you pretty...it makes you beautiful."
    He ducked his head in shame, his heart racing. He'd said too much-he'd taken advantage of her while she was in distress. What was he thinking?
    To his surprise, her face softened at the praise,. "Teddy..."
    Unfortunately right then two people barged in the Common Room. Victoire's gaze shifted upwards in alarm, breaking the fragile moment. For a brief second Teddy debated throwing something at the two, but the shouting match behind him interrupted his thoughts. Alejandro-Alejandro and Victory, having a row. Once in awhile they butted heads, but this was unlike anything he'd ever seen.
  "You can't kick me off!" Alejandro roared, fuming. He was still sweaty and muddy from practice.
  "I don't want to, but you just punched another team member!"
    Immediately Victoire's attention was redirected. "You did what?"
   Alejandro ignored Teddy, staring at Victory in disbelief. "Can you blame me? He was picking on Al! Right foul git he was."
   Now Teddy was all ears. "Who?" If it was that Henri got...
  "James!"
  Teddy stares at him in shock. James had always been a bit of a hothead, but not with his little brother. "What happened?"
"The two of them were arguing when I got there," Alejandro's arms were crossed, his gaze still on Victory as he spoke to Teddy. "James was mad about losing a match to slytherin. Kept calling them cheats, said something about how Al should be in Gryffindor, started calling the other Slytherins names. He even started going after how Al was friends with the Malfoy kid-said his dad was a killer."
Teddy's stomach dropped to the ground. Oh James...he'd always been temperamental-and a sore loser-but this time he definitely went too far. He's have to talk to James later, try to talk some sense into him and get him to apologize. If that was even possible for the stubborn genes of the Potters and Weasleys. He might as well be telling a wall to bend.
"Do you blame me?" Teddy hadn't noticed Alejandro looking at him worriedly.
"No." The word tasted like acid in his mouth, but it was the bitter truth. "No, I don't blame you. He had it coming." He turned to Victory. "I'll talk to the Madame Hooch, try to get her to see reason." Usually that was just as difficult as reasoning with a Potter or Weasley, but he'd probably have more luck with it than anyone else. "She shouldn't throw you off the team for that, mate. This is your first infraction."
Alejandro nodded, looking relieved, while Victory gave him a sideways look. "What about James?"
Right. "I suppose...he'll get whatever he deserves." It shamed him to say it, but what else could he do?
Footsteps creaked behind him, and he turned to see Victoire climbing up the stairs to the Common Room. Her white hair was glowing against the window, shining like a sea of stars against the dark sky. Suddenly he became overcome with an urge to see her face again. And not just for reassurance. "Victoire?"
She turned, her blue eyes furrowed in question. He didn't exactly know why he said her name. So he said the first thing that came to mind.
"I mean what I said before. About...you know." Being beautiful. God, why couldn't the other two leave so he could just say it?
She stared at him, a surprised smile rising as his heart hammered. Still...there was a sadness lurking beneath her eyes. Did she know what he was talking about?
"Teddy," she replied, her soft voice fluttering towards his heart. "Thank you." She took a deep breath, keeping her voice low. "I've been in a lot of other relationships, and...no one has ever said that to me before. Ever. I don't know which girl will ever catch your heart. But she's gotta be some woman to live up to you."
With another soft smile, she turned and went upstairs. Teddy gapped at her, cursing ever founder who made it impossible for him to go in the girls room and chase up after her. He had blown it-definitely blown it. What did she mean? What did any of it mean?
"Teddy. Teddy. Your soup's getting cold," Victory called.
He barely heard her over the voices yelling at him in his head. "My what?"
She handed him the bowl. "Stop worrying about James, I'm sure everything will work out just fine."
"James?" Her eyebrow arched higher, and he immediately felt foolish. "Right...yeah, you're right. Um, I'll just...take this upstairs then."
He bounded up the stairs, completely missing the glance shared between Victory and Alejandro. And wondering if he truly had blown it with the girl of his dreams.