Teddy Lupin was cross.
He wasn’t cross when Auntie Ginny was pregnant with James.
He wasn’t even cross when Auntie Ginny was pregnant with Albus.
But Auntie Ginny was pregnant AGAIN.
So Teddy was cross.
Grandma tried to talk Teddy out of it, but nothing seemed to work. She’d even called George Weasley to try and coax him out, with all sorts of trick toys and pranks, but nothing seemed to work. Teddy felt unwanted. He wanted to be a Weasley so badly, he’d do anything to be like James. Everyone acted like he was part of the family, and Teddy knew he was always welcome with the Weasleys, but being welcome with the Weasleys was different to being a Weasley.
Teddy Lupin, age ten (almost eleven) had been in the tree house for half a day. His stomach was growling, his cheeks wet, his throat dry, but Teddy was not coming out. Full stop. No questions asked. His Grandma Andromeda called it “Sulking.” Uncle Harry (who wasn’t his proper Uncle) called it “Accepting.” Teddy begged to differ. He put his head back against the soft wooden planks, smooth from the rain. Often it was Teddy, James, Fred and Albus that played in the treehouse. There was a strict No Girls Allowed policy.
“Teddy!”
The familiar shout of James Potter echoed across the vast field.
“Teddy!” Repeated a smaller voice, that of Albus Potter.
“C’mon, Ted. The girls have agreed to play a game of quidditch against us, and they say they’re going to win. Uncle Ron says that he’ll help us," he called up from the bottom of the trunk, shading his eyes from the bright blinding sun.
The two small boys paced the base of the tree, shouting up tempting offers in order to try and persuade Teddy to come down. Teddy glanced down at their black heads, lapping the tree trunk. Teddy clutched the sides of the tree house tightly, jaw clenched. But Teddy wouldn’t budge, his stubbornness getting the better of him.
“Theodore Lupin! You get down here right this instant! You hear me?” Shrieked Grandma Weasley. “Stop your big babyish sulking, and get down here. James is being much more grown up than you! Teddy, do you hear me?”
It was ten to seven in the evening, and Teddy was curled up in a ball in a corner of the treehouse, sobbing gently. Grandma Weasley gave up, and stormed off, back to The Burrow.
“I don’t know what’s got in to that boy..” She muttered under her breath.
Dusk was wrapping a cloak of night around the sky, and Teddy gazed up at the sky with eyes a deep shade of chestnut brown, his hair a rather suitable black. He remembered when the tree house was built, when he was so small that the tips of the branches seemed to brush the sky. He always pictured that the tree house would be level with the clouds, miles higher than the ants below. Teddy even remembered James, a tiny baby, and how he'd felt so grown up.
Teddy smiled to himself, remembering the first day he laid eyes on the new tree house. His new treehouse. Uncle Ron and Uncle Harry had sat in the treehouse for the first time, Ginny with 6-day old James on the ground. Uncle Ron had fell out of the tree house, trying to catch his tea flask that had gone tumbling down through the air and raining tea on James and Ginny. He'd shortly followed it, which is how Uncle Ron broke his wrist. That was the day the forcefield was put up, that protected anybody from falling out the square room. Albus had fallen out when he was four, and bounced right back inside. Ever since then, it was known as "Tree-bouncing", jumping out and then being thrown back inside again and again.
“You should come out you know.”
The voice made Teddy jump, and he squirmed further in to his corner, glancing frantically round the room.
“Who are you?” he croaked hoarsely. “Where are you?”
“Here,” came a gentle voice from the shadow of the treehouse.
Victoire Weasly stepped in to the twilight, her hair shimmering serenely in the dim half-light.
“And I suppose you’re here to try and coax me out?” He said haughtily, sniffing.
Victoire gave a soft laugh. “No Lupin, I’m not. I’m here to talk to you.”
She folded her arms across her chest and sat cross legged on the floor.
“Who sent you? It’s a strict No Girls Allowed policy in here you know,” He said fiercely.
“I think you can make an exception for me,” Victoire said, suppressing a grin.
“What? Why?”
“Because I’m special,” She said, sticking out her tounge, and tilting her head back to look at the sky.
There was a long, drawn-out silence before anyone eventually spoke.
“I hate being a Lupin,” Teddy said at last, heaving a dramatic sigh.
Victoire eyed him warily.
“You mean, you actually want to be a Weasley?”
Teddy gave a dismissive wave of his hand.
“Desperately.”
Victoire looked startled for a few seconds, before swallowing and straightening out her dress.
“Well, you’d be the first.”
“Are they going to kick me out once the baby’s born?” Questioned Teddy quietly.
Victoire’s pretty little face creased in to a puzzled frown.
“Why would they want to do that? Uncle Harry’s an orphan like you. His parents died too, fighting the same enemy. If anyone wanted to be a Weasley more than you, it would’ve been Uncle Harry.”
“You mean, he doesn’t want to be a Weasley anymore?” Asked Teddy, trying to keep his voice level.
“No, because he couldn’t marry Auntie Ginny if he was a Weasley.” Victoire told him, in a chiding tone.
There was another long uncomfortable pause.
“I think I want to go home,” Teddy whispered, barely audibly.
“Good night then, Teddy.”
Victoire did smile then, a brilliant wide beam that spread across her face. Teddy’s eyes turned a bright twinkling blue, as he clambered down the ladder, and raced to the Potters.
*
“I hate you, Vic.” Grumbled Louis, gazing grumpily down at the bright pink tie he was wearing.
“You look Parfait, mon cher,” Fleur said, tears welling up in her eyes as she showered Louis with kisses.
Louis rubbed them off crossly, scowling, as Dominique entered the room with Lily, both equally miffed.
“I look like a bloomin’ pastry let alone a bridesmaid,” moaned Lily, her flaming red hair not matching the fluorescent pink puff-ball dress she was wearing.
Victoire turned and sighed, gazing at them all.
“You all look so lovely,” She said happily. “that includes you, James.” She added, glancing at her cousin who was beating Lorcan with the bouquet.
“Sorry,” he mumbled, dropping the rather dishevlled pink roses, his face as pink as Lily’s dress.
“Hey,” Teddy grinned, popping his head round the door. “I know I’m not mean to see the bride before the Wedding, but I just couldn’t help...”
He gasped as Victoire turned around.
“....It,” he breathed.
Victoire grinned at her groom, her silvery eyes sparkling with excitement.
“Are you pleased you’re not a Weasley?” Victoire asked mockingly, a playful grin tugging at her lips.
“Yes,” Teddy laughed, gazing at his bride lovingly. “I am proud to be a Lupin.”
First time writing fan-fic, please review so I know what to improve on. Thanks so much for reading this, it means a lot to me! :)
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