Chapter 30
The Seventh Years
When Lily got back from the group's outing in Hogsmeade, she looked very beat up to Marlene. Not beat up as in punches, but beat up as in exhausted, both physically and mentally. It seemed their plan hadn't gone too well on her front. James echoed a similar air.
Luckily for them, Remus and Marlene were more than willing to share their findings. Sadly they had to wait. Sharing their thoughts wouldn't be as easy as it had been sharing their original plan. Several things stood in their way.
After dinner, Victoire had pronounced herself exhausted, and when the boys tried to exit as a mass,Teddy joined them. Unable to tell him off, they were stuck. The girls, still down in the common room, were held by a small group of the castle worst gossipers -two sixth years- that would be be more than willing to blab the whole plan to Victoire whether she wanted to hear it or not.
They caught a break the next day. Victoire and Teddy had rescheduled their book shopping trip and said they would be out of the castle for the day. Dorcas volunteered to run to the boys dorms and strictly instruct them to be up and ready to talk in no more than 10 minutes. Once that time was up, the girls all piled into their dorm and settled themselves in a sloppy circle.
"How did yesterday go?" Marlene asked first.
"Absolute rubbish!" Lily exclaimed
"Clam down Lily." Alice told her "We did find somethings." She began to tell the boys and Marlene about Victoire's first, and only, boyfriend. The boys went next with their findings on Teddy.
"Well," Sirius began "Teddy, like Vic, has only dated one person. They went on like one date but it turns out the girl was only using him to make her ex jealous. She dumped Teddy after she and her boyfriend got back together."
"So what does that total out to, then?" Remus asked
"Squat." James muttered "And I'm not just talking about dating, either.WE know hardly anything about Teddy. Or Vic for that matter."
"I think we should focus on one thing James." Peter said quietly.
"I guess you're right then wormy." he sighed
"Please tell me you two found something useful." Lily turned to Marlene and Remus.
"Actually, we did." Remus smiled. Both he and Marlene took turns explaining their day yesterday.
"Perfect." Sirius smiled, almost wickedly. "We've got ourselves a plan."
*******
When Victoire and Remus got back to Gryffindor tower later that day, they were greeted by their friends eerily standing in wait of them.
"How did they know we were coming?" Vic whispered to Teddy. Teddy just gave her a look.
"The map, dummy." he whispered back
"Right." she replied dumbly
"Vic, Teddy," Sirius greeted them with open arms as if he was about to squeeze them in a hug "Why don't you two sit. We have much to talk about." Uneasily, they followed directions. Vic tried to sit on an armchair but she was soon met with glares and ordered to sit next to Teddy on the couch.
"Teddy, do you like Victoire?" Dorcas asked, getting right to the point.
"Well, yeah." Teddy scoffed "Of course, she's my best friend." the quick shock of what they thought was early submission disappeared.
"No, no," Dorcas clarified "I mean do you fancy her." Teddy's hair faded to an eerie white.
"Teddy doesn't fancy me." Victoire jumped in. "He has a girlfriend back home." she improvised
"No he doesn't. He told us yesterday about his one date." Peter said
"You got that too?' Victoire grumbled to her best friend
"Yup. I was wondering what that was all about honestly."
"Besides, if he doesn't fancy you, why'd he get all nervous." Dorcas asked cockily.
"You know, Cas, you act quite smug even though you know I know things about you that you don't want said. I even have photo proof."
"You wouldn't." Dorcas almost begged
"No, I wouldn't" Vic admit "But you seem so willing to test me."
"It's true." Teddy added "We know things about your futures that would probably break you if we told you." His eyes flicked through each person. They paused only slightly longer on Peter.
"But we know nothing about you!" James outburst "You keep these secrets held above our heads but we have no idea. We don't even know your last name, Teddy. Your real last name. We all know you're not really Teddy Luther."
"You know we can't tell you that stuff, James." Teddy looked sad. His hair changed from white to an almost black navy blue.
"Why? Because we would lead ourselves to an early death? From the sounds of it that happens without your help. Least you can tell us is your name. Victoire did that!" James was yelling. None of the others were trying to calm him down. Even if they hadn't realised it yet, they all felt bothered by what James was saying too.
"I can't." Teddy said sternly. His hair changed to a confident yellow. "I'm sorry, but that could change things quite dramatically. It's too dangerous. Like it or not, things have to happen at least a little like the original timeline or else the entire Wizarding World, not to mention the Muggle World, is doomed."
Teddy stormed out of the common room and out into the castle . Vic stayed behind. She took a deep breath and wiped away a few pesky tears that had escaped her eyes.
"I've come to care about all eight of you." her voice was shaky, like she was about to break out in tears at any moment "I want to do anything in my power to save each and everyone of you. However." she paused for a moment, took a deep breath, then continued "you have to trust us. We're not only doing this for you, but I guess for my uncle. He lost his parents, his future friend's parents, his godfather, his favourite professor, someone who could've been a close trustee, and two people he never had the chance to meet as a baby or otherwise. All of those people, save for one, Frank Longbottom, are in this room. I don't mean to be so blunt, but Marlene is supposed to be dead. She was supposed to die, along with her aunt, the night Dumbledore came to bring her back here. I've saved one person and I intend to do the same with the rest of you. Attacking Teddy like that isn't going to get you anywhere, James."
No one said anything for a while. Victoire just silently brought her bag of newly bought books to her room before slipping through the portrait hole and running to the forbidden forest where she knew Teddy must be.
(A/N: Hello. Another update. I should be alseep, early morning for me (ok seven isn't that early but I've been staying up until 3 and waking up a noon. I'm sorry, I'm a teenager.) Thank you for 200+ comments. They are my favorite to read so thank you to those who leave regular comments. I read each and everyone. Goodnight! -Jul)