Disclaimer: I own nothing.

AN: Yeah, so this is the sequel to Reality Quidditch and Ancient Runes. And it's only a one-shot. Expect no more.

Blue Paint

Eight.

That's how old Victoire was when she made the biggest mistake of her life. And possibly the best, too.

She was eight when she declared her room would be bright fuchsia pink.

Not only did it clash with her silvery red hair, but it made her miserable for the next nine years of her life.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is where our story picks up.

"'Ello, 'Eddy."

Victoire pushed herself off the countertop she was currently perched atop.

The electric blue haired boy spun around. "Victoire? Fancy seeing you here."

"Zhat was not a zurprise."

"What's with the French accent, Vic? It's kind of creepy."

"Zhez is what 'appens when I am 'orced to spend ze 'olidays with Freench veelas."

"Oh. Sorry. Must have been painful."

"You're telling me. It was all 'Victoire! You must pluck your eyebrows!' and 'Victoire! Let me make you look perfect!'. So annoying! This is why I prefer dad's side of the family. They may be younger, but they don't expect me to wax my legs every hour on the hour."

"You know what they say, Vic. Beauty is pain."

"Let me rephrase that to fit the veelas. Beauty is torture."

"Aw, come on. It can't be that bad. You look perfect to me."

"You have to say that. You are my best friend."

Victoire glowed at the compliment, anyhow. She had never thought she was perfect. She had this straight silvery red hair, and her mother's features, plus her father's brown eyes. She didn't have the blond hair and blue eyes of the traditional veela, so was partially shunned by her mother's side.

But Teddy. Teddy was perfect. He had that rebellious air about him, but was perfect because of it. He had electric blue hair that was long and wavy. It just brushed his eyes. And his eyes were masterpieces themselves (according to Victoire, at least). They were slightly bluish silver. They were gorgeous, and Victoire could swear all her veela cousins would be jealous.

"Whatever," Teddy replied, shrugging. However, he did seem a bit put down. "But, what are you doing in a paint store?"

Victoire looked around. She had forgotten she was in a muggle paint store. That might explain why it smelled strongly of paint.

"Well, it's a long story."

"I've got time to listen. With only grandmother at home during the winter holidays, it can get quite boring. You have time to tell it?"

"Seeing as they're mixing my paint, yes."

"So, on with the story. Chop, chop!"

Victoire smiled. Teddy had an uncanny ability of being able to make her smile whenever. Which was why they had become fast friends (and partially why she, as head girl this year, let him get away with so much. He was a prankster like his father).

"Well, when I was eight, I decided to make my room pink."

"That's not so bad."

"Hot fuchsia pink."

"Oh. Should have said that in the first place."

"Well, I hate it. Every time I see those pink walls, I feel like vandalism."

"Gasp!" Teddy exclaimed dramatically. "Not our head girl!"

"Shut it," Victoire said with a smile. "So, this Christmas, Granddad Weasley gave me a gift certificate to a muggle paint store. And here I am."

"What color paint?"

"Blue."

"You love my hair, don't you? So much, that you're painting your room to look like my hair, right?"

"Aqua blue."

"You hate me, don't you?"

"So, what are you doing here?"

"Guess."

"Getting high off the fumes wafting off the lead filled paints."

"What? Yeah right"-

"Kidding! No, er, looking at the paint chips to find new colors to turn your hair into."

"Aw! You caught me!"

"No, seriously-"

"But"-

"Tell me or the French accent comes back."

"Oh, I'm cowering in fear!'

"And I'll show you exactly what the veela cousins did to me. In fact, I'll do it to you."

"I surrender! I'll tell! Just drop the tools of torture!"

"Spit it out, Loopy Lupin."

Teddy looked at her solemnly. "That was Peeves name for my father."

"Oh, sorry," Victoire apologized, looking at the ground abashedly. But before the effect was completed, her head bobbed back up, looking thoughtful.

"You know, both of our fathers have something to do with werewolves. Yours was a werewolf, and one scarred mine. Interesting…"

Teddy looked annoyed. "Do you want me to tell you or not?"

"Oh, right! Fire away."

"Well, being as bored as she is, grandmother has taken up painting pictures of just about anything in the house. I think she is currently on a dust bunny. And she needed me to run out and fetch her a new brush."

"That's it?"

"Yeah. What?"

"I wanted something, well, more juicy!"

"You thought the reason that I was at the paint store would be juicy?"

"It's a muggle store! The reason should be interesting!"

"Like how?"

"For all I know, you're in the middle of a steamy and passionate relationship, and here to rendezvous with the clerk."

"The clerk's a guy."

"So? That makes it juicier. My best friend since forever is gay."

"Yeah right."

"I've heard rumors that your dad was gay for your mum's cousin, Teddy."

"That's sick. That's just sick."

Victoire smiled. "And I don't suppose you've heard that my aunt Gabriella has a total crush on my uncle Harry?"

"That rumor?"

"Well, it isn't a rumor."

"That's not as bad as my dad being gay."

"Yeah. I know. Ew."

"Excuse me, miss, but here's your paint."

Victoire jumped around and smiled at the clerk. "Thank you!"

She handed him a piece of paper, and headed for the door. Teddy handed the clerk some money for his grandmother's paintbrush, and hurried after her.

It was raining outside. And not just any raining. Torrentially heavy rain.

"Great," Victoire moaned.

"What?" Teddy asked, surprised. "I thought you loved the rain."

"Not during the winter holidays. Only at Hogwarts."

"Why would that be?"

"Well, amid the Weasley clan, there are copious amounts of children, who are all exceedingly raucous when located inside for elongated periods of time."

Teddy raised an eyebrow.

"I've had the time to come up with a good complaint for my parents!"

"Whatever, so, why again is this bad?"

"Since the kids are rowdy, the adults don't want to be stuck with them."

"And…?"

"They are sent to another house (usually my parent's house), and I have to baby-sit."

"That can't be that bad, can it?"

"Yes it can. You try to keep fifteen stubborn and energetic kids inside, while not damaging the house, or themselves."

"Ah."

"And that's not the worst of it."

"What is?"

"The pool table revolves around all of it."

"Pool table? Aren't you all wizards?"

"Well, Uncle Ron learned of pool at Aunt Hermione's parent's house. And introduced it to the rest of my family. Big fad now. And for some messed up reason, my mum is the reigning champ."

"Fleur Delacour? The pretty French veela?"

"Oui."

"Wow. So, what about the pool table?"

"They see it as the perfect toy. Fred's son was climbing up on the table once, and broke part of the table. My fault. They were all playing some game involving running around the table, and Percy's kid fell, and Charlie's kid tripped over him, breaking his ankle. And then"-

"I think I get it, Victoire."

"Right. And why don't we go, instead of standing around under the awning all day."

"Good idea."

The two walked in silence for most of the walk back. Until Victoire's face lit up.

"Teddy! I've had a brilliant beyond brilliant idea!"

Teddy looked a bit apprehensive. Victoire's last 'brilliant beyond brilliant' idea wound him up in the lake, covered in mayonnaise, with the giant squid chasing after him. Don't ask.

"What is it?" he asked tentatively.

"You can drop off the paintbrush with your grandmother, and come over to my place. You can help me paint my room, and keep me company."

"Don't you have your cousins to do that?"

"I don't fancy conversing with a bunch of raucous ten year olds much."

"Alright, I'm in."

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Teddy glanced at Victoire's long silvery red hair. She said it was a disgrace to both sides of her family (not blond enough for the veelas, and not red enough for the veelas). But Teddy loved it anyway. There was something distinctly calming about her hair.

"And here is the Weasley clan!' Victoire announced, opening the front door, to show a plethora of kids messing around.

"Victoire!" one red head shouted, jumping up to tackle her. The others weren't far behind.

"I'll get you for this!" Victoire shouted back, joking.

All of the kids were very much engaged in 'imprisoning' Victoire. Except for two.

"Hello Teddy," said the small red headed girl. Teddy smiled back at her. Lily was the youngest of the Weasleys (a few months after Hugo), and quite honestly the sweetest.

"Wicked seeing you here," the boy with the messy black hair grinned. "You've finally told her your feelings for her, haven't you?"

"James, I'm not here on a date. For some reason, I think going to this house to spend time with Victoire's rowdy cousins is not romantic."

"But seriously Teddy. Your seventh year is almost over with. You have to make your move sometime," James advised solemnly.

"I'll keep that in mind."

Victoire had finally untangled herself from her cousins. "Teddy, you coming?"

Teddy nodded, and followed her upstairs.

"Make sure you behave yourselves!" Victoire bellowed down the stairs to her cousins, as an afterthought.

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"Okay, Lily, we need a plan."

"For what?"

"You know very well what!"

"Well, you should have said that in the first place, James!"

"So, what"-

"Stop! We need to talk somewhere private."

Lily pulled James by the sleeve into a nearby, empty room.

"Right," James said. "So, how are we supposed to get Victoire and Teddy together?"

"Well, what do we know?"

"That Teddy is in love with Victoire. And they're friends, and Teddy doesn't want to stake that friendship. That's about it."

"You're forgetting something."

"What?"

"Victoire's in love with Teddy, but thinks he only wants to be friends."

"When did we learn that?"

"Oh, yeah…. You weren't at my little heart to heart with Victoire the other day."

"Why were you invited, and not me?"

"First off, I'm a girl. Second off, being the baby of the family has certain perks."

"Fine, fine. So, what do we do?"

"Well, get them to admit their feelings."

"How?"

"Why are you looking at me? I'm seven!"

"And yet you're more mature then Uncle Fred and George combined."

"Well, they're them."

"Nice way of putting it."

"Thank you."

"Now that I think about it, I can't think of anything either."

"Well, you are only in first year."

"Thanks."

"Well, are there any ideas? I say we just do the first one we can think of."

"Well, I'm leaning towards using the invisibility cloak to push Teddy onto Victoire, and see what happens."

"Hm… I have nothing against that. Let's do it."

The two left the room, and James pulled out the invisibility cloak that his father had given him for Christmas that year.

"Okay, here goes nothing," James muttered.

Lily peeked into the room where Teddy and Victoire were chatting away, while painting the room blue.

There was a rustle (presumably James under the cloak), and Teddy lost his footing, falling on top of Victoire.

James soon reappeared next to Lily, and they continued observing the scene before them. Teddy and Victoire were positioned in such a way that they were lying on the floor, but their faces were only centimeters apart.

"Watch and learn, Lily," James said, smirking at the scene.

"Um, Teddy, can I get up now?"

Teddy climbed up slowly, and after he was up, Victoire practically jumped up.

"You know what?" Teddy asked angrily. "I can't take this anymore!"

Victoire looked taken aback, and answered, timidly, "What?"

Lily could relate. Teddy was always supposed to be kind and happy, he was never the angry type.

"You're so blind! How can you not see it?"

"What are you talking about?"

"I love you Victoire!"

Victoire gaped at Teddy. "What- but, but, the- you always acted like you only wanted to be my friend!"

"I guess I'm a good actor," Teddy said, his voice sounding bitter.

"Guess? Your dad's a marauder, and your mum's a metamorphagus!"

Teddy glared at her.

"Oh, right, not helping."

"You bet."

"How long?"

"Since, since I don't know when! I never wanted to be just your friend, Victoire."

Victoire gaped. "I can't believe that"-

"Neither can I. I can't believe I actually thought you'd understand. Bye, Vic."

Teddy turned on his heel, and began to stalk out of the room.

"But, then- how? Wait!"

"What?" Teddy said gruffly, stopping, but not turning around.

"I cannot believe you can be so blind," Victoire said, grinning.

"Wait, what's going on?"

"I think this should clear things up for you."

Victoire walked calmly over to where Teddy was standing with his back to her. She grabbed his shoulders, and spun him around.

"And if you don't understand this, you're an idiot not worth my time," Victoire whispered into Teddy's ear. Lily could see Teddy stiffen at that.

But, turning her attention back to Victoire, Lily was in time to see Victoire pull Teddy towards her, and kiss him.

"Wicked," James whispered next her.

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"Can you believe that ten years ago, you were shoving Teddy onto Victoire?"

"Yep. But I can't believe it took them ten years to get married."

"I know, but they do make a great looking couple

Lily pointed over at the pair dancing. Victoire was in her beautiful wedding dress, leaning her head on Teddy's chest.

"'Spose you're right."

"When am I not right, James?"

"When you predicted it'd be me who was all angry over Rose dating a Malfoy, even though he's in Gryffindor."

"Yeah, I didn't expect Hugo to get all angry. I mean, he was always so just, and all."

"Well, he got over it."

"Which is why he's currently teasing Scorpius?"

"Of course! It's a brother's job to tease their sister's boyfriend. Though, I heard Scorpius had the ring and all ready to propose."

"Really? And so that's why you were teasing Lucas?"

"Lucas Jordan? Hell yeah!"

"Thanks."

"No problem."

"Should I start teasing your friend Becky?"

"No! It's for guys only! And I'm not dating her!"

"Hm… You have been glancing over my shoulder at Ms. Wood very often."

"But! I-"

"Go on. I doubt Becky would like it if I stole her man for too long of an dance."

"That was so not right. First off, you're my sister. Secondly, we aren't dating!"

"Well, that'll have to be changed, won't it? Go on! Make your move!"

Lily pushed him towards Becky. Before she left to find Lucas, she glanced at Teddy and Victoire. Sure as hell they made one bloody brilliant couple.

AN: Yeah, I was with my family during the holidays, and that's the inspiration for this. My little cousins are all rowdy, and like to attack me. And can I do anything without getting in trouble? Nooooooo. Well, hope you enjoyed it, and happy new year!