Seventeen and a Half Years Later: Patronus (2/3)
Title: Seventeen and a Half Years Later: Patronus (2/3)
Author: kanedax
Spoilers: Deathly Hallows and Previous Chapters ( timeline here)
Characters: Victoire, James Jr, Harry, Neville, Teddy, various OCs
Rating: R for language, nudity, and sexual content
Summary: Victoire gets a bit of a shock
Notes: Since my last chapter, I created a convenient timeline for those who are getting buried beneath my continuity. The link will be placed in the “Spoilers” line from this point on.
I own these characters. The rest belong to JK Rowling.
Patronus (1/3) / Previous Chapters / Patronus (3/3)
Victoire Weasley’s Patronus dissipated so quickly that she could have sworn she heard an audible pop. The Room of Requirement was completely silent. She couldn’t even hear anyone breathing.
She looked around anxiously at her fellow Gryffindors. They were all staring at her, mouths hung open, eyes wide.
Oh, God, she thought. They know. How could they know?
Her boyfriend, Nathaniel Smith, was also looking at her strangely. Not so much shock as… jealousy?
How could he know? her racing mind continued, speeding up. There’s no way… Did I say something? Did I say his name? Is Nate a Legilimens? He has to be, how could he know what I was thinking, why would he be looking at me like that if he didn’t know that I was thinking of snogging--?
“Holy shit.”
“Language, Mr. Mills.”
The sound of Professor Squall’s rebuke seemed to break the tension. The Room of Requirement was filled with cheers and hoots and hollers as Victoire was suddenly surrounded by her peers.
“Oh, my God, Vic, that was incredible!” Christine Hogan squealed.
“How did you do that?” asked Sam Welts. “That was amazing!”
“So wicked,” said Chelsea Lemming, nearly hyperventilating. “So, so cool, you have to show me how you did that!”
Although the group around her consisted of merely five Gryffindors (Five? Indeed, as Nate and Theresa were both standing a few steps away, giving Victoire very mixed reactions), Victoire felt more than a little claustrophobic.
“Separate, separate,” Professor Squall said calmly as he approached his students. “Excellent work, Miss Weasley. Quite excellent.”
“Thank… thank you, sir,” Victoire stumbled, prying her eyes away from Nathan and looking at Uncle Harry, who was shaking his head in disbelief, a bewildered smile on his face.
“Very well,” said Squall, turning to the rest of the class. “Class is over for the day. For next session I would like everyone to write a twenty-inch essay on the history of the Patronus charm during the Second War.”
A groan passed through the students, but silenced quickly when Squall raised his hand.
“I expect it to be nothing short of the standard I hold for Gryffindor House,” he continued. “Now, if everyone would thank Mr. Potter for his time, we will be on our way.”
“Thanks, Harry,” “Thanks, Mr. Potter,” were spoken with mixed feelings as the students slowly made their way out of the Room of Requirement. Victoire tried her best to leave as quickly as possible, head down, trying to avoid anyone’s gaze, which of course meant that someone stopped her right away.
“Vickie!”
Victoire reluctantly turned around as Harry strode towards her. Christine and Sarah both motioned that they’d wait for her outside, but Nathaniel passed her with barely a glance, causing the knot that had grown in her stomach to tighten.
“That was brilliant, Vickie!” Harry said.
“Um, thanks,” Victoire said, tucking her blond hair behind her ear. “It really wasn’t a big deal, though.”
“Thank you for your lesson, Mr. Potter,” said Chelsea, stopping on her way out. “I really learned a lot.”
“It was my pleasure, Miss Lemming,” said Harry with a smile, causing Chelsea to burst into a spate of nervous giggles.
“You’ll be teaching us again next year, right?”
“I certainly hope so,” said Harry.
“What are we going to be learning?”
“Well, I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise, would I?”
Chelsea burst into another fit of giggles that would have caused Victoire’s eyes to roll if they weren’t already firmly planted on the marble floor. “Alright,” said Chelsea reluctantly. “Well, I should… I should go.”
“Nice meeting you again, Chelsea,” said Harry politely.
“Nice meeting you again, too, Harry,” Chelsea said, backing away slowly, only tearing her eyes away from Harry when she bumped into the doorway. The shock of the impact brought her back to reality, and she swooped out of the room quickly to avoid further embarrassment.
Harry turned back to Victoire. “And don’t tell me it wasn’t a big deal,” he said. “Because it was.”
“It really wasn’t,” Victoire insisted. “I mean, plenty of people can do that.”
“You realize it took me over a month before I could make anything corporeal?” Harry said as he walked out of the Room. Victoire, realizing she was trapped, was forced to follow him out.
“Yeah, but you were up against Dementors and stuff…”
“Even during DA lessons it took Ron and Hermione three lessons to make their Patronuses,” Harry explained. “And they just have little ones. Yours is the biggest I’ve ever seen.”
“Your uncle is right,” said Squall, following them out. “To make a Patronus of that size takes considerable talent. And gold Patronuses… well, they’re extremely powerful, and extremely rare. I salute you for your ability, Miss Weasley, and can only hope that you develop it further.”
But it was a fraud! her mind cried out. A sham! It wasn’t a memory that created it, not a real one!
“You must have had quite a memory to make something like that,” said Nathaniel, who had waited for her, leaning against the wall beside the tapestry, with Christine and Sarah beside him. She didn’t quite like the tone of his voice.
“Yeah, I suppose it was,” Victoire said quietly. Don’t show, don’t show…
“That was so cool, Vic!” Christine said. “I didn’t know you had it in you!”
“So what time are you expecting me next, Calamus?” Harry asked as he and Squall walked down the hall. Victoire supposed she should stay with her uncle a little longer, which would have been a lot easier than dealing with her friends right now, but they forced her to hang back a few steps.
“What were you thinking about?” Sarah asked. “What was your memory?”
“Um…” she ventured another glance at Nathaniel. “I probably shouldn’t talk about it.”
“Why not?”
Lie lie lie lie… “Because I don’t want my uncle to hear about it?”
Okay, so that wasn’t a lie.
“Ooooh,” said Christine, nudging Victoire’s shoulder. “Saucy minx.”
“You, too?” Nathaniel said flatly. “Thinking of the same thing I was thinking?”
“Probably, yeah,” Victoire said, her eyes still back to he floor. There’s the lie we were talking about.
“Yeah,” Nathaniel agreed. “Probably. Guess I have to think of something better.”
The words caused Victoire to look up at him in shock.
“I have to go study for Arithmancy,” he said. “I’ll talk to you later.”
And with that, Nathaniel Smith turned around in the other direction and disappeared.
Oh, God, her insides moaned. How does he know?
“Little prat,” Sarah muttered. “Don’t worry about it, Vic. He’s just jealous that he wasn’t able to make a Patronus and you could.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t make a big deal about it,” said Christine, seeing the look on Victoire’s face. “He’ll get over it quick. He always gets that way when someone does better than him. You know how he was around me and Ted when he lost out on Chaser.”
Victoire’s head spun to look at Christine, her eyes wide. Ted? For some reason the name sent electric sparks up her spine.
“Lupin’s the bloody captain,” Christine, who was a second-term Chaser herself, continued, apparently misreading Victoire’s reaction, “and I already had the position. Ted took Harry’s advice, retry the entire team. The way Nate reacted you’d think that he lost out to some greenhorn first year missing both thumbs.”
“Yeah,” Victoire said. “Yeah, I suppose…”
“Third year doubles in two hours,” Harry said to Squall. “Got it.”
“Again, it’s a distinct honor to have you here,” said Professor Squall. “Make yourself comfortable in the castle until the next class.”
“Thank you, Calamus,” said Harry. “Anything I can do to help Hogwarts, you know that.”
Calamus nodded once, and then turned on his heel and marched away, leaving Harry at the bottom of the stairwell waiting for Victoire and her friends.
“Looks like I have the next two hours free,” said Harry. “When’s your lunch?”
“We actually have lunch right now,” said Christine.
“Great,” Harry said to Victoire. “Do we want to find James, Fabian, and Teddy and find a quiet place to sit and eat? Ginny and I made some soup and sandwiches this morning.”
“Actually…”
“Christine and Sarah are welcome, as well, there should be more than enough to go around.”
“Wow, really?” Christine said. “That would be so cool!”
“We promise we won’t ask you about, you know,” Sarah stumbled nervously, “stuff.”
“Actually, Uncle Harry, I should…”
“Harry!”
Harry and the three Gryffindors turned to see Professor Longbottom walking towards them, robes and face covered, as usual, with various levels of dirt and grime.
“Neville!” Harry said, embracing his friend in a dirty hug.
“I forgot you were here this week!” said Neville as they separated.
“Oh, yeah,” said Harry with a shrug. “Actually just got done teaching Vickie’s class about Patronuses.”
“Oh, really?” said Neville, turning to the girls. “How’d it go? Anyone cast anything worth mentioning?”
“Not really,” said Victoire quietly.
“Oh, come off it,” Christine exclaimed. “Vic cast a huge hippogriff Patronus. It was massive and gold and really cool!”
“Wow,” said Neville. “I’m impressed, Miss Weasley.”
“It’s really nothing.”
“Don’t be so modest,” said Neville. “Mine’s only a hedgehog.”
“Well, at least that’s cute!” Sarah pouted. “I wish I knew what mine was.”
“You’ll figure it out eventually, Miss Harvey.”
“Just my luck I’ll have a banana slug or a sponge.”
“So how are you holding up, Neville?” Harry asked seriously.
Neville just shrugged. “Not bad, I guess,” he said. “Still a little bit in shock at times.”
“I know how you feel,” said Harry.
“But she was strong,” Neville continued. “She lived a good life. Best you can say about anyone.”
Victoire pulled herself from her fog long enough to remember what they were talking about. She had heard Harry, Hermione and the others talking about it at the Weasley Christmas: Augusta Longbottom, Neville’s grandmother and childhood guardian, had died in December after a long bout with various illnesses that eventually crept up on most witches and wizards that had reached her age. Victoire’s immediate family had only met Augusta once or twice, so had not been invited to the small funeral. But she still mentally admonished herself for forgetting that it had happened and for probably talking a little too much in Herbology so soon after everyone returned from holiday, giving Professor Longbottom more trouble than he needed.
“Best you can ask for in a life,” Harry agreed. “Look, do you have class right now? We were all going to find a place to sit down and have some lunch, and I’d love to have you join us.”
“Actually,” said Neville, brightening a bit. “You want to come out to the greenhouse? Nice and warm, keep away from swarming students looking for autographs? Uri and I eat our lunches out there all the time, I was just on my way to the Runes classroom to meet up with her.”
“That would be fantastic,” said Harry, patting Neville on the shoulder. “I’ll go grab the food from Calamus’s room. Girls, if you want to go find the boys…” At this Harry pulled out an aged piece of parchment and his wand.
“You’re joking,” Neville said with a snort. “You actually brought it with you?”
“Wouldn’t feel like Hogwarts without it. I solemnly swear I am up to no good.”
“Woah,” said Sarah, leaning in. “Is that the map?”
“It’s the map,” said Harry. “Alright, James and Teddy are both in the library, and Fabian’s in the Great Hall. Want to go grab them and then meet us at…?” he glanced up at Neville.
“Greenhouse One,” said Neville. “My office.”
“Greenhouse One in fifteen minutes?”
“Sure!” said Sarah.
“Actually,” said Victoire, “I probably shouldn’t…”
Harry looked at his niece with disappointment. “Are you sure?” he asked. “Is everything alright?”
No, not everything’s alright, she thought. Part of me doesn’t know if I can sit in the same room as Ted right now, and the other part of me wishes that I could sit in the same room with no one but him.
“Yeah, I’m fine,” Victoire said. “I’m just…”
Her mind flashed back to the vision she had in the Room of Requirement. Kissing Ted Lupin. Feeling his hands on her body. Running her fingers through his ever-changing hair.
“I’m just tired from class,” she said, another thrilling spark surging through her that she quickly tried to stomp out. “It took a lot out of me.”
Harry nodded. “Absolutely,” he said. “A Patronus that size could sap the energy out of even the most experienced wizard. Go lie down. Eat some chocolate; Lupin gave me some after I worked with the boggart, it did wonders.”
Lupin.
“Alright.”
“If you start feeling queasy,” Harry continued, putting his hands on her shoulders and trying to check eyes that kept darting towards the floor, “you go to the hospital wing, alright?”
“Alright,” she said. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be,” said Uncle Harry, kissing Victoire on the forehead. “I’m just sorry I didn’t think of it sooner. Of course this would happen. You go rest. I’ll be here all week, I don’t want you to wear yourself out on my account.”
“Do you want us to come with you?” asked Christine.
“No, I’ll be fine,” said Victoire, forcing herself to smile. “Go. Have fun.”
Christine looked at her uncertainly, but Sarah, the prefect of Gryffindor along with Aaron Mills, had no problem accepting Victoire’s invitation to have lunch with the Harry Potter, even if it meant eating with two professors, two first-years, and…
Ted Lupin.
The rest of Victoire Weasley’s day seemed to pass by in a haze. When she returned to the Gryffindor common room, she went straight up to the girls’ dormitory and flopped down on her bed.
She wasn’t tired. Not physically, anyway. Whatever was affecting her, she knew that it had nothing to do with the Patronus itself.
A Patronus of that size takes considerable talent, she heard Professor Squall echo in her head. And gold Patronuses… well, they’re extremely powerful, and extremely rare.
She must have some talent to create something that large, with an energy so different than other Patronuses. Because, unlike other spells that she had cast in other classes, she felt as though this giant golden hippogriff had used up none of her energy.
Must have had quite a memory...
What the hell just happened? Victoire thought, rolling onto her stomach, chin propped against her pillow. On the wall beside her bed, the silver Moke skittered across the painted forest background. That wasn’t a memory.
It started as one, her rational (irrational?) mind countered. Then it became so much more…
There was that spark again. That electric thrill, that tight feeling in her stomach (and below) that hit her whenever she thought about kissing…
No, she thought. No, no, no…
Why not? her mind asked as Binns droned through another History of Magic lesson.
Because I have a boyfriend?
He didn’t seem like quite a decent guy in Defense. Maybe it’s a sign.
And he’s like my cousin! she thought for the fiftieth time, this time as she nearly poured her entire bottle of mole entrails into her Potions cauldron.
But he’s not your cousin.
And he has a girlfriend! she screamed as she sat at the Gryffindor table at dinner, barely touching her food, telling Christine that she probably wouldn’t be back until after Quidditch practice, as she decided to take a walk and visit Buckbeak for a while, and she would try to not wake her up if she decided to crash early.
That’s the least likely excuse of all, her brain said as she sat down beside the hippogriff, pulling her glove off and brushing his feathered mane beneath the winter stars. You’ve lived at Hogwarts for five years. You know that there’s always at least one dramatic breakup a week around this school. Who says that Ted and HC are going to last forever?
“I can’t think like that,” Victoire said quietly to Buckbeak. “I can’t…”
Buckbeak squawked, nuzzling her neck with his razor-sharp beak before bending over and picking up a dead rabbit.
“I’m with Nate,” she said to him. “And Ted’s with HC. I can’t wish for bad things to happen to them because of one damn sex fantasy I had about him. And I can’t break up with Nate just because I hope that Ted might be available sometime before June. That’s not how it works.”
Buckbeak just stared at her with one eye, still chewing on the rabbit.
“He’s just a friend,” she said firmly. “He’s just… He’s just Teddy.”
There goes that surge again…
“That’s all he can be…”
Her voice trailed off.
Not very convincing, is it?
“Damn it,” she sighed, resting her head against Buckbeak’s side, wishing that the thoughts of being with Ted Lupin would just disappear.
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