Title: Pretending

Character(s): Teddy. L + Dominique. W

Summary: We are what we pretend to be, and so we must be careful when pretending. I'm sorry, I wasn't careful... One-shot

Notes: Okay so this is for the 'What we pretend to be' challenge, which fits this perfectly (duh). Don't know where the inspiration came from, but it's there somewhere. The quote inside is one by 'Kurt Vonnegut' and I loved it! Hope you like it, don't be a stranger – review! That's all really!

Teddy Lupin lived in between shadows, hiding – always hiding. In fact he had never truly smiled before, that was in fact, until he met Dominique. But now... now he was in quite the predicament.

He was pretending – always pretending – to be someone he was not. He was always plastering on fake smiles and acting as if he was so carefree and innocent when in actual facts he was not.

He had no reason to be upset – he was in Auror training, and he and Dominique had been dating for nearly a year, but somewhere in his heart – he just knew that it was not enough for him.

He needed... he needed to be IN love with someone, and not just love them. And with Dominique he just was not getting the love he required.

He needed someone who wasn't set on becoming a mother so soon – someone who didn't pressure him to go out all the time, before he had even began to push through the cracks of his shell.

And that was why he could not be with Dominique Gabrielle Weasley.

Dominique was in love with Theodore Remus Lupin. He was her sunshine, her rain, her entire world. But she knew that she wouldn't keep him for much longer as a boyfriend. She wanted a family with someone else who appreciated her needs for a family.

Teddy couldn't do that – Dominique knew this because, well, he wasn't even grown up enough to look after himself. Dominique came home every so often to bare cupboards and empty bins and she knew in an instance that he hadn't eaten even a bite that day.

Teddy would neglect a child – though not due to hate but more to the fact that he simply would not remember. And anyway, that wouldn't be fair for him anyway.

She was going to tell him exactly how she felt when she arrived home from work the following day. And she planned out – as she did with everything – a way to break the news gently to the boy.

She loved him – she was in love with him, but she knew even with the pain of leaving she would be able to find someone who was right for her.

She hadn't expected to find a note by their bed that night when she came home. She hadn't been expecting anything out of the ordinary, but when she was home, none of Teddy's belongings were there and he was gone.

Dominique picked up the note.

Dominique,

I cannot begin to profess how terrible I feel – but I also cannot tell you how writing this lifts a whole lot off of my chest.

I'm not a Gryffindor for a reason – I may have been sorted there, but I can't help but feel as if the hat made some sort of mistake. It's hard to... deal with things.

We've both been pretending Dom, and it's not fair on each other. I hope you understand. After all isn't there that quote from that muggle 'We are what we pretend to be, so we must be careful about what we pretend.'

I'm sorry Dominique, I wasn't careful while pretending.

Teddy.