Character Bios: Victoire
Hugging it to my body tightly, I saw Mother frown. She snatched the bear from my arms and replaced it on the shelf. "Thank you, but no thank you, monsieur." She patted me on the head. "Stop wanting it, Victoire." I couldn't though. The storekeeper kept handing me the bear and declaring it was free, and Mother kept putting it away. Finally she gave up and let me hold the bear while she picked out the gift. I thought I would even be able to keep the bear after we left the store, but just before we walked through the door she took the bear away and handed it to the storekeeper. I felt miserable, but I did not cry. Mother had taught me that it was never ladylike to cry in public.
After dinner that night, Mother told Dad what had happened. Dad sighed and called me over to his chair in front of the fire. Pulling me up into his lap, he tried to explain to me that I wasn't supposed to want things like that. Mother chimed in with words I had never heard before, like Veela and non-human. At that point, all I took from the conversation was that I was no longer allowed to want anything.
So, I tried not to. After I started primary school, I made sure that I didn't want to be the smartest in the class or to be friends with anyone. I didn't play with the other kids, because if I did not play with them I would not have to worry about wanting their toys or snacks. It didn't hurt so much when I sat alone on the playground if I told myself that I was better than they were.
The hardest place to not want things was at home. When my baby brother Louis came along, it was hard to not want things. Dom and Louis didn't have to worry about that; if Louis wanted a bottle, he cried, and if Dom wanted a story, she asked for one. Mother stopped paying attention to me, as she was preoccupied by the baby, and Dom started to steal all of Dad's attention. It was okay though. I wasn't allowed to want their attention.
I wasn't allowed to want attention from anyone. When people came to visit my parents, they would coo over Louis and tell Dom how darling she was. I stayed in my room and played with my toys. Not wanting things was easier when you couldn't see other people getting them. I hated going to Grandma Molly's; all of the other kids would show off their new toys and try to get the adults to give them attention. My time was usually spent helping Grandma Molly in the kitchen or feeding one of the younger kids.
There was one thing I never even dared to think about. Most things I could ignore and the wanting would go away. Hogwarts was different. If I heard about Hogwarts, my mind would start to wander and I would daydream about what it would be like to go to school there. Mother would usually tap me on the shoulder at that point and shake her head. The frown that accompanied that gesture always made me feel like a failure. I avoided stories about Hogwarts like the plague. It was only when I was in my room, alone, at night that I let myself dream about what it would be like.
When I received my Hogwarts letter, I almost didn't believe it was real. I was so afraid that it was just another dream. It was real though. That evening Dad again called me over to where he sat next to the fire. Mother pulled two chairs next to his and we all sat down. This time when they mentioned things like Veela, I had a better idea of what they were talking about. Mother explained to me that I had gotten the better part of her Veela genes and that I had powers that none of the other children at Hogwarts would have. She told me that wanting something was the easiest way of using the powers and that I should avoid it whenever possible. Over the course of the next month she showed me how to use my powers. She also showed me how to turn them off, but I was still not allowed to want anything. My control over my powers was precarious, and the slightest upset to my emotional balance could make me lose control of them.
I spent my first two years at Hogwarts deliriously happy. I had friends for the first time because my grasp on my powers was better and I could control them enough to not turn them on when one of my dorm mates got a new skirt. I even had a best friend, Teddy Lupin. We had met at Grandma Molly's a few times before I started school, and he took me under his wing when I was sorted into Gryffindor. Even though I'm a year below him, he doesn't treat me like I'm stupid and I love to be around him.
Plus, I don't have to worry about anything around him. I can want things. When I told Mother that he didn't seem to react if I accidentally used my powers, she nodded and said it was probably because he was a Metamorphagus and had a bit of werewolf DNA in him. It's just nice to be able to be myself around someone, regardless of the reasons behind it.
I haven't appreciated it as much lately. I keep wishing that Teddy was affected by my powers. You see, I want something now, more than I ever wanted anything else. More than I ever wanted that teddy bear. Even more than I wanted to attend Hogwarts. What I want is Teddy himself. And he doesn't want me. All of the time he used to spend with me, he spends with Dom. Ever since she started Hogwarts this year Teddy has been hanging out with her and showing her the ropes. I hate it. I finally thought I had someone who was mine, whom I could want, whom I could try to get attention from. I've lost him, though. I tried turning on my powers to full strength in the library last week, after I caught him studying with Dom. He didn't even notice me. Dom shot me a glare and almost every other boy in the room swarmed over to me, but he never even looked at me. I fled to my dorm in tears that day.
It hurts, but I'll get over it eventually. I should be used to this by now. I should have known that he would never be mine. I should have known that this would be like that first teddy and that I would only be allowed to hold on to him for a little while. It's just going to be a lot harder to get over this Teddy.
Other Bios: Teddy - Fred - Dominique
After dinner that night, Mother told Dad what had happened. Dad sighed and called me over to his chair in front of the fire. Pulling me up into his lap, he tried to explain to me that I wasn't supposed to want things like that. Mother chimed in with words I had never heard before, like Veela and non-human. At that point, all I took from the conversation was that I was no longer allowed to want anything.
So, I tried not to. After I started primary school, I made sure that I didn't want to be the smartest in the class or to be friends with anyone. I didn't play with the other kids, because if I did not play with them I would not have to worry about wanting their toys or snacks. It didn't hurt so much when I sat alone on the playground if I told myself that I was better than they were.
The hardest place to not want things was at home. When my baby brother Louis came along, it was hard to not want things. Dom and Louis didn't have to worry about that; if Louis wanted a bottle, he cried, and if Dom wanted a story, she asked for one. Mother stopped paying attention to me, as she was preoccupied by the baby, and Dom started to steal all of Dad's attention. It was okay though. I wasn't allowed to want their attention.
I wasn't allowed to want attention from anyone. When people came to visit my parents, they would coo over Louis and tell Dom how darling she was. I stayed in my room and played with my toys. Not wanting things was easier when you couldn't see other people getting them. I hated going to Grandma Molly's; all of the other kids would show off their new toys and try to get the adults to give them attention. My time was usually spent helping Grandma Molly in the kitchen or feeding one of the younger kids.
There was one thing I never even dared to think about. Most things I could ignore and the wanting would go away. Hogwarts was different. If I heard about Hogwarts, my mind would start to wander and I would daydream about what it would be like to go to school there. Mother would usually tap me on the shoulder at that point and shake her head. The frown that accompanied that gesture always made me feel like a failure. I avoided stories about Hogwarts like the plague. It was only when I was in my room, alone, at night that I let myself dream about what it would be like.
When I received my Hogwarts letter, I almost didn't believe it was real. I was so afraid that it was just another dream. It was real though. That evening Dad again called me over to where he sat next to the fire. Mother pulled two chairs next to his and we all sat down. This time when they mentioned things like Veela, I had a better idea of what they were talking about. Mother explained to me that I had gotten the better part of her Veela genes and that I had powers that none of the other children at Hogwarts would have. She told me that wanting something was the easiest way of using the powers and that I should avoid it whenever possible. Over the course of the next month she showed me how to use my powers. She also showed me how to turn them off, but I was still not allowed to want anything. My control over my powers was precarious, and the slightest upset to my emotional balance could make me lose control of them.
I spent my first two years at Hogwarts deliriously happy. I had friends for the first time because my grasp on my powers was better and I could control them enough to not turn them on when one of my dorm mates got a new skirt. I even had a best friend, Teddy Lupin. We had met at Grandma Molly's a few times before I started school, and he took me under his wing when I was sorted into Gryffindor. Even though I'm a year below him, he doesn't treat me like I'm stupid and I love to be around him.
Plus, I don't have to worry about anything around him. I can want things. When I told Mother that he didn't seem to react if I accidentally used my powers, she nodded and said it was probably because he was a Metamorphagus and had a bit of werewolf DNA in him. It's just nice to be able to be myself around someone, regardless of the reasons behind it.
I haven't appreciated it as much lately. I keep wishing that Teddy was affected by my powers. You see, I want something now, more than I ever wanted anything else. More than I ever wanted that teddy bear. Even more than I wanted to attend Hogwarts. What I want is Teddy himself. And he doesn't want me. All of the time he used to spend with me, he spends with Dom. Ever since she started Hogwarts this year Teddy has been hanging out with her and showing her the ropes. I hate it. I finally thought I had someone who was mine, whom I could want, whom I could try to get attention from. I've lost him, though. I tried turning on my powers to full strength in the library last week, after I caught him studying with Dom. He didn't even notice me. Dom shot me a glare and almost every other boy in the room swarmed over to me, but he never even looked at me. I fled to my dorm in tears that day.
It hurts, but I'll get over it eventually. I should be used to this by now. I should have known that he would never be mine. I should have known that this would be like that first teddy and that I would only be allowed to hold on to him for a little while. It's just going to be a lot harder to get over this Teddy.
Other Bios: Teddy - Fred - Dominique