Disclaimer: Nothing is owned by me.

For Cate's Member Challenge on NGF, with the pairing Dominique/Teddy and the prompts picturesque and ribbon.

And for two of my favorite twins in the whole wide world – Bri (swirling-summernotes) and Kaye (what stars are) because Kaye's birthday was on the 21st and Bri's on the 22nd, and I hope both of them had a fantabulous time and they they like this. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRLS, and I love you :)

He watches her dancing, stars shimmering on her bare skin, and wonders if it'll be enough.

-:-

(It won't.)

-:-

The park is cold and grey, abandoned by the children who love it best and left alone to suffer the swirling winds of the storm, but he still finds her there, because she's not the type to give up on anything, especially not this park. Her back is pressed against the rain-damp trunk of an old maple tree, curls falling around her face in a mass of honey-gold, and she's got a mug of hot chocolate in one hand and a book in the other, and she's just so pretty, it hurts.

(It hurts mostly because he knows he can never have her.)

"Dominique," he breathes when he's within earshot, and her head tilts upwards, her blue eyes bright against the dullness of the day. "What are you doing out here? You're going to get yourself ill."

But he can't muster up enough energy to properly reprimand her and it's not like she cares anyway, judging by the casual shrug of her shoulders. It's hard, really, to care about such mundane matters when there's a whole universe of impossiblities stretching between his body and hers, sizzling and electrifying and untouchable (kind of like her).

"I'll survive," she tells him simply, bookmarking her page and closing her book so she can rise to her feet and look him in the eyes. Teddy gulps, feeling his hair shift from brown to purple to green to blue at the speed of lightning, so different from her warm, solid honey hues.

He can't bring himself to break the silence, even as his breaths get faster and harder and rain starts to drizzle, then pour down upon them. She takes a sip of her hot chocolate, her gaze never leaving his, and he wonders what color his eyes are now. Probably gold. They always shine gold for her.

Somewhere in the distance, a ring glistens on her sleeping sister's finger.

"You're marrying her," says Dominique, as if she's just thought of that, and the nonchalance of her voice sends a dagger through his heart.

"I – " Teddy clears his throat. "I am. I – I'm sorry."

It's a pretty ring, diamonds and sapphires and a band of yellow gold.

She takes one step closer. His heartbeat accelerates. Winds burn through the leaves of the trees, and rain falls slow and steady on the Earth.

"I love you," and then she leaves.

-:-

His "I love you, too" is lost in the storm.

-:-

Rings glitter and stars shimmer the night he gets married in a picturesque little garden full of blooming winter flowers and the laughter of his friends and family. His grandmother and her grandmother sit together wearing colorful hats and trading stories of the time when their grandchildren were babies, and all her cousins run around the garden making mayhem wherever they go.

Weddings are a happy time, but he can't bring himself to smile.

Victoire looks glorious, radiant in white satin as she glides down the aisle holding a bouquet of roses. Curls of ivory fall from her veil down to her shoulders, the paleness of the strands such a stark contrast to her sister's sweet honey ringlets, and her eyes dance with the brightness of her smile, and she looks so gorgeous, so happy, and – and – and –

And all he can think of is Dominique.

He takes her hand, says his vows, kisses her till he's dizzy and everybody is cheering, laughing, clapping, except for her.

(She's always been the exception to all his rules, though.)

After dancing with Victoire and dancing with her mother and dancing with his grandmother, Teddy finally manages to corner her sister near the refreshments table on the outskirts of the wedding party. He hasn't yet had a chance to see her; she's eluded him all day, but there's nowhere for her to run now.

"Congratulations," she says, because he can't think of anything to say and all his words are dying in his throat as he looks at her, just looks at her, and this is making him more dizzy than kissing Victoire ever did and damn it all.

She looks beautiful.

"Thank you," he replies, because what else can he say? He can't mention the day in the park or all those nights on her favorite worn blue porch swing or the afternoons when they would sit in a Hogwarts courtyard and watch the clouds go soaring by. And he can't mention just how pretty she looks in her blue bridesmaid dress with a white silk ribbon twined into her curls and starlight dancing on her skin and in her eyes and everywhere around her.

And he can't mention how the ring on his finger feels like lead every time he looks at her, so why say anything at all?

But the words spill out anyway. "I love you, too," the broken confession she hadn't heard that day in the park.

Dominique's gaze turns to ice. "You're married," she informs him, as if he doesn't already know.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his hand reaching for her face, the wedding ring sparkling. Dominique closes her eyes; he draws her close and presses his lips to hers. It's the worst possible time, at the worst possible place, with the worst possible person, but he does it anyway because he needs to know how it feels.

And maybe, from her vantage point, Victoire will think it's only a hug between her husband and her sister.

She tastes like melons and tears and regret, and Teddy pulls away feeling something in his heart lighten. Dominique takes a breath and steps away. Her gaze is lighter, but it still burns holes through his heart, and he looks away. There's no way to undo it (he's not sure he wants to), but it's over.

"I'll see you around," she says with a wistful smile, turning around, away, and her heels click on the floor as she walks to where Albus and Scorpius are sitting and easily coaxes his blond cousin into a dance. Scorpius twirls her around once, twice, three times, and genuine laughter bubbles out of her.

-:-

He falls asleep with Victoire at his side that night, and maybe it'll be all right.

a/n: hm, I really have no idea what this was beyond messing up one of my OTPs beyond measure, but I hope you liked it anyway! If you're reading this far, please leave me a review to tell me what you thought, thanks! :)

And don't favorite without reviewing, please and thank you.