AN: A few precursory notes: first, I'm well aware that in JK Rowling's newest canon Teddy is in Hufflepuff. I think I've mentioned before, but this story is slight AU (well, probably more than slight given all of the crazy rubbish that happened in the book that must not be named). Second, I need to go back through and do some editing to this chapter at some point. It's nowhere near as polished as I want, but since it's taken me this long to finally sit down and write this, figured I better post it now or risk sitting on it for another few months. Finally, there is some swearing in this chapter. It's on the mild side, but wanted to give a heads up in case anyone's offended.

Chapter 4 - Playing for the Other Team (Roxanne)

Spring was well underway at Hogwarts. The weather on this particular Saturday morning was perfect for a quidditch match. As luck would have it, there was a match scheduled with Gryffindor playing Hufflepuff in the final match of the season. The cup was at stake, with each team having won both of their previous games.

Victoire Weasley looked up from her breakfast at the Gryffindor table to see Teddy Lupin with his head down, hurriedly scurrying out into the entrance hall.

"Oi, Ted!" Victoire called, hoping to catch him. She had no such luck though as he continued on his way. She quickly got up from the table and took off after him.

"Ted!" she said, out of breath, stepping in front of him on the enters steps of the castle. "Where are you going? The match doesn't start for an hour still."

"Oh, yeah, I'm not going to the match. I promised I'd help Hagrid with some bowtruckles this morning."

"But Hagrid left yesterday to go to visit the Scamanders for the weekend."

"Oh…" Teddy trailed off. "Guess… I must've gotten my weekends confused."

"So you can come to the match with me then?"

"Well, uh… you see… I have a… errr, Herbology paper I should probably start on that-"

"Ted, you were about to spend the whole morning with Hagrid and bowtruckles. Are you really going to try and tell me that you don't have time to spend with your best friend at the last quidditch match you'll be in school for?"

"Er, when you put it that way, 'suppose I don't really have a choice."

...

Two hours later saw Victorie and Teddy at the quidditch pitch, up at the top of the Gryffindor viewing section. The game had been underway for some time now. Hufflepuff was leading 140-30, largely due to some exceptional flying from their keeper, Ean Horn.

"That Ean's really something, isn't he?" Victoire asked. Trying to engage Teddy. He had been quiet and a bit flustered all game, and she had even seeing him taking concealed swigs from what looked like a flask.

"Hm, I guess so," Teddy replied. Hufflepuff scored again and a cheer rose from their end of the pitch while groans could be heard among the Gryffindor faithful while Roxxane could be heard uttering a few choice words of her own from a couple rows behind Victoire. Another minute passed of silence between Teddy and Victoire.

"Ok, that's it Teddy." Victoire finally said. "I can't take another minute of this. I feel like things have been weird between us for the past few months, if not longer, and today is the worst it's ever been. We used to be able to talk to each other about any and everything, and now we're struggling to even have a decent conversation. I haven't wanted to say anything because I didn't want to chance ruining our friendship, but now I feel like I may as well say something since it seems inevitable at this point. I like you Teddy," she paused to shake her head and regroup. "I fancy you. Like, occasionally get the urge to pull you in a broom closet and snog your face off. So, could we go to Hogsmeade next weekend as a couple, not just as friends?" She looked over at Teddy and saw a terrified face staring at her in return.

...

Ean Horn was at a loss for words as Victoire Weasley, unanimously (or close to it) the fittest bird in school, confessed her attraction to Ted Lupin. Well, more accurately confessed to him in the Polyjuice assisted guise of Ted Lupin. He'd imagined things could go wrong with his and Ted's plan, but he'd never imagined something like this.

At the start of the year he'd lamented to Ted – his partner in potions – that he'd never have a chance to be a part of the Hufflepuff quidditch team. Ted had tried to reassure him that he wasn't missing that much. Despite inheriting a bit of his mother's clumsiness, Ted had turned into a rather excellent keeper over the past few years from having to play a ridiculous amount of quidditch with his (god)brother, James Potter. Ted had pointed out how time consuming all of the practices were, citing them for why he didn't even bother to try and tryout for the Gryffindor team. Whether it was simple coincidence or fate, they had been brewing Polyjuice potion that day. It had suddenly clicked in Ean's head. Ted could try out as Ean! Ean would be able to be on the team and have the reputation he wanted as a quidditch player. Ean had assured Ted that, given enough time and practice, he'd be good enough to keep his spot on the team. Against his own better judgement, Ted had gone through with the plan, trying out metamorphed as Ean with Ean watching from the stands polyjuiced as Ted (Ean had managed to nick a supply of the potion while Ted had been distracting Professor McCollum).

Unfortunately, Ean's plan had had a bit of a hiccup after the first game of the season. Ean had performed dreadfully in the practices leading up to, and during the first game. Hufflepuff had managed to beat Ravenclaw, but only because Hufflepuff's chasers had played superbly and their seeker had managed to catch the snitch early enough that the game had been won 210-180 (Ean had only stopped two of twenty shot attempts). Afterwards, the captain, Colin McKinnon, had spoken to Ean and made it clear that any further poor performances would not be tolerated. Ted had then needed to fill in for Ean at an occasional practice, and all games moving forward. The result was that Ean's reputation had skyrocketed around the school while Ted became more and more worn down from the additional work of playing quidditch for a different house while completing his other already numerous seventh year responsibilities.

Usually Ean had been able to sit in the library as Ted when Ted was him and pretend to study or find other ways of remaining isolated, to prevent any chances for slipups. Victoire had cornered him this morning though and he hadn't been quick-witted enough to escape her tenacity.

So, with Victoire having just declared her love for Ted to him as Ted, he tried to think as quickly as he could how he as Ted should respond. Frankly, he wondered why Ted hadn't gotten with her already. The two were an inseparable pair, and most of the school could tell Victoire fancied Ted (in large part due to her rejecting every guy who'd ever asked her out). So, if it was obvious Victoire had fancied Ted, why hadn't Ted done anything? Then the only logical explanation clicked in Ean's head.

...

"I'm gay," Ean (as Teddy) blurted out.

"Excuse me?" Victoire asked, shocked. Teddy was gay? How could he be? Well, the idea of him liking guys was feasible to her in and of itself, but how could he have never talked with her at all about this before.

"Err, I'm sorry Vic. I just didn't feel comfortable sharing before. Can we please just move on and talk about something else. Maybe not talk about this again until I feel comfortable?"

Victoire felt hurt. She and Teddy talked about everything. She respected his right to keep things to himself, but she had always considered herself Ted's best friend (as he was hers) and wanted to be able to help him be who he was and not hide it. Before she could respond though, the crowd erupted. Hufflepuff had caught the snitch and won the cup!

Teddy jumped to his feet and began racing down towards the pitch. "Sorry Vic!" he shouted back at her. "Need to congratulate my classmate Ean!"

...

Teddy Lupin felt a wave of relief wash over him as he made his way back from the quidditch pitch (as himself) to the castle. The quidditch season was officially over and he could happily move on from pretending to be Ean. The extra-time commitment to quidditch had been bad enough, but the secrecy and sense of guilt had been even worse.

"Where do you think you're going?" Deep in thought, Teddy hadn't even noticed Victoire approach him.

"Umm, back to the castle? Lunch's probably over by now, but as you know the kitchens are always open if you're willing to do some tickling. Care to join?"

"That depends," Victorie replied a bit aggressively. "Are we going to talk about what the hell happened back at the match?"

"You really want to talk about Hufflepuff winning?"

"Don't give me that shit, Ted!"

"Umm, excuse me?"

"Are we really not going to talk about-" Victorie paused as she looked around to make sure no one was around to hear, "you playing for the other team?" she asked, emphasizing 'other team' with her voice and gesturing with her hands.

Teddy's jaw dropped. "You… you knew I played for the other team.

"Drop the act, Ted! Quit playing stupid with me. Don't insult me further. I thought we were best friends, but the fact that you never told me and now won't even have the decency to think about discussing it with me makes me think otherwise."

"Vic, you know I'd tell you anything. It's just, this was, IS, a big secret."

"I know it is, but why does it have to be? You know the people around you love and support you, right? That I'll always be there for you, no matter what? Even if you do royally piss me off sometimes like right now."

"Vic, what are you going on about? Do you know how bad it would be if any of the professors found out? I can't imagine the students, especially the Gryffindors taking kindly to it either."

"You honestly believe that!? Teddy, this is 2015. You don't have to feel bad about this. You don't have to try and hide who you are." Victoire started to cry. "You're my best friend, Teddy. I want you to be happy. I don't want you to suffer."

"I don't want to suffer either Vic, but no one else can know about this, ok? I could be expelled!"

Victorie looked at him incredulously. "Teddy, they don't expel students for being gay at Hogwarts!"

"For being… gay? What are you talking about Vic. You said you knew I played for Hufflepuff today? Where did me being gay come from?"

"What, you played for Hufflepuff today?"

"Now who's putting on the act, Vic? You just told me you knew I damn well played for the other team."

"No, I said I knew you play for the other team. You know, the expression people use? Like, you're not interested in girls but blokes instead."

Teddy stared at her while he shook his head in disbelief. A string of vulgar words proceeded from his mouth. He finally composed himself.

"How exactly did you hear that I'm gay?"

"Now you're the only playing dumb again. You told me!"

"I told you?"

"Yes, during the match!"

"I told you I was gay; during the match?"

"What the hell, Ted. What are you playing at? I poured my heart out to you, then you told me you were gay, and now you're trying to pretend the conversation never happened?"

"How exactly did you pour your heart out, and why did it cause me to tell you I'm gay?"

"BECAUSE I TOLD YOU I FANCIED YOU AND WANTED TO GO TO HOGSMEADE AS A COUPLE AND THEN YOU SAID YOU COULDN'T BECAUSE YOU WERE GAY! YOU ARE UNBELIEVEABLE TED LUPIN. WHY ARE YOU TREATING ME LIKE THIS? YOU KNOW WHAT? I WANTED TO TALK AND TRY TO HELP YOU BUT IF YOU'RE GOING TO NOT EVEN HAVE THE DECENCY TO HAVE A CIVIL CONVERSATION WITH ME, I THINK YOU CAN MANAGE TO FIGURE THINGS OUT ON YOUR OWN!" With that, Victoire stormed off towards the lake.

Teddy stood there in shock trying to process everything Vic had said. She fancied him? She wanted to go to Hogsmeade with him as a couple?

"Vic, wait up!" He yelled after her. She showed no sign of listening to him though as she continued to storm off. Teddy took after her at full tilt, catching up and grabbing her by the shoulder.

She turned to face him, her face still red, and opened her mouth to begin yelling at him again. Before any words could escape her lips though, Teddy's lips met hers as he pulled her in for a deep kiss. She reflexively leaned into it, lifting her left heel in the air. After the initial shock and reflex had passed though, she stiffened and broke away. Teddy was met with a hard slap across the face.

"What the hell was that, Lupin?!"

"What I've been dying to do for the past six months." Vic opened her mouth to retort but Teddy raised his hands in defense.

"Just please, hear me out for one minute. I've been pretending to be Ean for quidditch and he's been taking Polyjuice to pretend to be me while I'm him. You somehow dragged him, err, 'me' to the game today with you, right?"

Victoire nodded.

"Ok, well that was actually him pretending to be me. Things were probably especially awkward because he has no idea how to act as me. Then when you popped the Hogsmeade couple question, he for some reason thought the best response to the situation would be to tell you that he, err, 'I' was gay because he thought that would be the best way to reject you. Or something. I don't know what goes through that thick skull of his sometimes."

Victoire was quiet for a minute while she processed the information. "So that kiss, right now…"

"I fancy you back."

Victoire leaned back into him for another deep kiss.

"So," Teddy began some time later after they'd finally broken apart. "Are you going to ask me to Hogsmede again?"

"Oh I don't think so. I think you're going to ask me. And we're going to go shopping. Well, you're going to take me shopping, more precisely. And for dinner. And for whatever else I feel like."

"Oh? And why exactly will I be catering to your every whim and desire?"

"Because you don't want me to tell anyone you've been playing quidditch for a different house."

"You wouldn't."

Victorie sighed. "No, but you wouldn't say no to your girlfriend, would you?"

"You really think so?

"Oh, I know so." Vic said, smirking and taking Teddy's hand as she began to lead him towards the castle.

"I could say no right now if I wanted. Where exactly are you trying to lead me?"

"To the nearest broom closet."

"I hate it when you're right," Teddy said, scowling. "Lead on."

...

"It's all lies, all of it!" Teddy, in the present day, shouted out as he stood up, interrupting Roxanne. "No one can prove anything."

Victorie pulled his hand to make him sit back down before she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Shhh… it's ok Teddy Bear. No one here will say anything, right?" She gave all of the cousins a quick, murderous look. James looked murderous himself.

"Lucy," Victoire started, "why don't you share a story? You've been awfully quiet so far tonight. I'm sure you must have something you can share. Right now."

"Me?" Lucy asked. "I guess I could share. I'm not much for storytelling-" Victoire shot her a desperate look that said 'please start talking about something', "but I guess I could give it a shot."