I am part Veela. Yeah, yeah, lucky me, I've heard it all before. The point of me telling you this is not for admiration, or to feel important, it's actually because I'm trying to make a point.

My point is that I don't like it. Being part Veela that is. You get some sort of good looks and charm, I suppose, but that doesn't stop me from seeing myself as inept and weird. Which I am. My whole family thinks so.

And let me tell you, the opinion of the Weasley family counts. Not only because there are so many of us, but because we have a pretty good status in the wizarding community. Mostly because of our involvement in the War.

My birthday is on the anniversary of the Last Battle. That's where my name comes from as well. 'Victoire' meaning 'victory' in French.

Lucky me. So not only am I part Veela, come from a huge and opinionated family, and am slightly strange and uncoordinated but my birthday is on one of the most important days in the wizarding world. Great.

Firstly, after all the complaining, I love my family. I really do. They are annoying and loud, but I love them.

I have two younger siblings, Dominique, or just Dom, who is going into her 4th year of Hogwarts this year, and Louis, who's going into 1st year. I'm in 6th year. The break between O.W.L's and N.E.W.T's.

My mother wanted us to attend Beauxbatons in France but that's where dad put his foot down. He can be quite intimidating when he wants to. Mum just wanted to get rid of us so they could make sappy eyes at each other all the time and no one would groan loudly and make retching noises. Dad wanted us to go somewhere closer to home, in case of an emergency, and plus, almost our whole family would be there to look out for each other.

I thought that argument was kind of stupid considering I'm the oldest, apart from Teddy, and I don't really need looking after.

Ah yes, Teddy Lupin, have we mentioned him yet? He's my overprotective big brother.

Well, sort of. He's actually the godson of my Uncle Harry, but he's part of the family by now. I like to think of him as the older brother I never had. It's helpful having him at school with me because whenever a guy breaks up with me Teddy goes and smacks him around a little. He's a bit overprotective at times. Afraid I'll get hurt. Geez, I'm not a damn two year old. When Teddy gets afraid, his voice gets all shrill and high. I enjoy scaring him just for that reason.

Not all of Teddy's time can be devoted to hurting my ex-boyfriends though because he's known as a sort of Hogwarts god.

The fame and the seeming bravery of his parents who died in the war have made him semi-famous. Ever since I came to Hogwarts he's been known as 'the stud' or 'the Quidditch guy' or 'that hot metamorphmagus'.

I get glares from girls I've never even met when I hang around Teddy. Now that grosses me out. They're jealous of me and him? Teddy is my brother. Thinking of him as anything but fraternal is disgusting.

The cousins that actually attend Hogwarts are sort of in love with Teddy. Seriously, they believe that he literally is a god. I think he's the big brother role model to everyone. The person that can't be harmed no matter what. Some one who's perfect.

Don't get me wrong, they love me too, but more for the entertainment value I bring to the Christmas dinners. And it's not like I'm trying to be funny. I just have a sad, sad habit of falling over at the wrong moments. And saying the wrong things. At Hogwarts, thankfully, most people don't know of my clumsiness, so I am known as some sort of untouchable goddess.

Seriously, I actually heard Brent Miller say that last year. How embarrassing for him. And a little for me too. It's just the Veela thing. To the people who know me, I'm awkward and a little disabled when it comes to walking. Now that's something you want people to think. At least, I prefer that to 'untouchable goddess'. I do enjoy some of the popularity being a Weasley brings me, but I hate the spotlight, which is so often inconveniently turned towards me.

I'm not extremely self-conscience. Surprisingly, being a teenage girl, I'm fine with the way I look. I have inherited the glowing Veela skin from my mother, and the clear blue eyes, but also, unfortunately, the trademark Weasley hair screaming 'look at me!' from the top of my head. That's right, somehow I managed to avoid the freckles and the gangly-ness, but I suppose it was inevitable that I would get the hair.

My absolutely perfect and graceful younger siblings got the silvery blonde hair. But then I laugh because they got freckles. And then I sigh because it looks wonderful on them. Damn angelic looking Dom and Lu. Weirdly, Dom got green eyes. We have no idea where that came from. Lu has the good old brown Weasley eyes though.

Today is the day we go to Diagon Alley. Yes, that's right, we. All of us. Well, most of us. All the members of my family who are going to Hogwarts this year and their parents. And the head of the whole brood, Grandma and Granddad Weasley. And not only the members of my family, but the Longbottoms and the Scamander's.

The Longbottom's have one son, Dobby, and the Scamander's have Lorcan and Lysander. They're in 4th year, and Dobby is going into 1st year with Lu. I think Lorcan has a thing for Dom, which I am so not okay with. Not that Lorcan's not a good kid, he is, but my little sister is a bit of a slut. Poor boy will get his little heart broken. It's times like these I wish he had inherited his family's strangeness, so he probably wouldn't get that upset. His brother Lysander is a bit left centre though.

Anyway, we'll all troop through the alley, me hiding in the middle of the group and hoping nobody notices me, and greet pretty much everyone; kids will stare at Uncle Harry and excited boys will point at Aunt Ginny.

They'll be remembering her Quidditch days. She had all the moves. But now she just writes for the Daily Prophet. And another thing, why didn't I get the Quidditch genes? Everyone goes and plays Quidditch, but I have to sit in the stands and cheer for Teddy and my cousin James. Stupid French genes. And then there's damn clumsiness that is no one's fault but my own.

So, we're off. Taking about fifty cars along with us. Nah, just joking, but it really does seem that amount sometimes. Uncle Ron came along while Aunt Hermione was at the Burrow with the younger kids and a few other adults, and he almost ran over a little old lady. I think I could probably drive better than him. Shame I chose his car to ride in.

Scary, scary experience.

'We're here!' Uncle Ron sang as we pulled awkwardly into a car space. We all jumped out of the car to safe ground.

We all walked into the Leaky Cauldron, chatting and laughing, while I managed to squeeze myself into the centre of the group.

'Teddy!' Uncle Harry cried, spotting a head of blue hair slouched at one of the bar stools. Harry hugged him excitedly. We were all used to Harry's displays of affection by now. My personal theory is that he needs physical contact to make up for the loneliness of his younger years.

Teddy awkwardly hugged him back. A seventeen year old boy's strong suit is not affection. Uncle Harry then got into a conversation with Hannah, the land lady and Neville's wife, and we all conjured seats and sat down. She looked delighted at the company. Apparently business was slow today.

I sipped my butter beer slowly, watching everyone's antics. Fred and James were laughing hysterically at something or rather. I don't understand how they can just laugh at their own jokes all the time.

Lorcan was making eyes at Dom talking to Dobby and Lu while Lysander hummed to himself, Roxanne was arguing with Grandma Molly about her weight and Uncle Ron and Aunt Ginny were having a surprisingly civil conversation. Those two have been known to get into some big verbal brawls.

Neville had joined in the conversation with Uncle Harry and Hannah. I had no idea where Luna and Rolf were. They were probably searching for more long lost breeds of animals. Crazy.

A person dropped onto the stool next to me. I turned my head slightly and saw Teddy.

'Hey Vic, why you being so boring?'

'Why are you so irritating?' I shot back. He grinned at me and my annoyed facial expression melted a bit. Damn that boy and his pearly whites. Seriously, he's master of the innocent facade. He could probably get away with anything.

'And I'm not boring, I'm simply observing.' I said.

'Ah yes, Victoire the Observer. Of course. What have you been up to lately anyway? I haven't seen you in ages.'

'You saw me like two weeks ago.' I protested.

'Yeah, well, I would've seen you on Saturday, but nooooo, you had to go be social. Where's your sense of family duty?'

'Oh, c'mon Teddy, I can't attend every single family gathering we have. If I did, I would have no friends at all.'

'Nuh-uh, not true. I go to every single little dinner and social event the Weasley's put on, and I still have loads of friends.'

'Merlin you're stuck up.'

He contemplated this for a moment. 'Fair point.'

I smiled at him. Even though he was as annoying as any one person could be, he could still make me smile. He's an arrogant git though.

I looked at him a moment while he sipped his butter beer. I could see why the girls at Hogwarts were swooning for him. When he wasn't messing around with his nose or face, he really was very good looking. He preferred to keep his skin rather tan, and his hair blue, but his face was naturally angular, and his nose and jaw straight. His eyes were usually a dark brown, though sometimes he'd colour change according to what day of the week it was, and turquoise was his favourite hair colour.

We were extreme opposites, though I could probably beat him in a verbal sparring match any day. He was the Quidditch player, I couldn't fly to save my life, though that was more attributed to my balance problems; he had the grace and popularity naturally. If I wasn't a Veela or a Weasley, no one would even know my name.

That's another thing I appreciate about Teddy. He's never treated me any differently because I'm a Veela. That's why I trust him the most by far of any boy who I'm not related to. He treats me exactly like what I am, a clumsy teenage girl who's a little unsure of herself and has no idea what she wants to be, but we still share a mutual respect.

He put his bottle down and looked sideways at me. Then he got up. 'Well, if you're done admiring me, do you want to go in?'

I stood up as well. 'Perdant.' I muttered as I walked past him.

Teddy giggled and walked with me. Now, I know calling someone a loser isn't the greatest come back in the world, but I was under a lot of pressure. And besides, he knows I'm angry when I speak in French, I think he got the message.

As if he has the right to try and embarrass me when he giggles like a three year old on a sugar high. Seriously, that's how he laughs. I guess he had to have one imperfection. Though, I suppose I didn't need to insult him in French. He was only speaking the truth. Well, not about the admiration part, but I was staring. May have been a bit of an over-reaction. But then again, I do have the temper to match my hair.

We walked through the stone archway followed by James and Fred, while the others decided to wait for the adults. Honestly, if you spent your whole life waiting for the adults to finish talking, you'd never get anything done. Teddy knows this, which is why we usually go off to get our stuff together.

We got our money from Gringotts and headed to Flourish and Blotts to get our books. I'd already gotten my Care of Magical Creature's book from Rolf, whose family has been writing books about beasts for ages, and he usually gives us free ones.

I took Care of Magical Creature's for Hagrid, the professor and family friend. I also enjoy the subject, to the surprise of everyone who thinks a delicate Veela girl wouldn't get down in the dirt.

Teddy isn't taking Care of Magical Creatures, since he's too busy with all his N.E.W.T subjects. He told me once he can't decide between playing Quidditch professionally, and being an Auror.

I think he could do either. His Mum was an Auror, but I think that might be the only reason he wants to do it. Playing Quidditch is something Teddy loves to do, you can se it on his face during matches, and I think that might be the direction he should be leaning towards. No matter the statistics for Quidditch players who actually make it to the big time.

'I'll be right back.' I called to Teddy as I wandered down a different aisle. He acknowledged me with a wave of the hand, completely immersed in reading the back of Quidditch through the Ages, Special addition. He has that book at his Grandma's, but for some reason, he rereads it over and over again.

I used my finger to guide my eyes across the titles of different books, looking for the title of my Charms text, Advanced Charms for those Special People.

I think the world is ganging up on me. Some random who wrote a book just called me special. And I don't think he meant it in a good way.

Dom had laughed her head off when she saw the title of that book, and Dad had snorted into his breakfast. He spilled his coffee all over his pants, something which I found extremely funny. He had scowled at me and told me to have a shower. Men. Too much pride. My Dad can dish it out but he can't take it.

I finally located the book and shoved it onto the growing pile I was holding. I had taking as many subjects as I could this year. I didn't know what N.E.W.T subjects I was going to take, so this year I've decided to try a bit of everything. It'll be worth it in the end, hopefully.

'Vic?!' I heard Teddy calling. Oh great, his voice had gone all girlish and whiny. I had freaked him out.

'What?'

'Merlin, don't run off with out telling me. Your mum would kill me if I lost you.' He said, coming into view. 'Crazy French woman.'

'Okay, first of all, you aren't in charge of me. Second, I told you I'd be right back, but you were to busy making out with the Quidditch book.'

Teddy blushed lightly. I snorted and shook my head. 'C'mon Teddy Bear, let's go pay.'

--

After we had visited the Apothecary, Teddy insisted on Gambol and Japes, the old joke shop, and Quality Quidditch Supplies. We saw James and Fred in the joke shop, and then we met everyone else near Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

'Don't tell Uncle George you were in Gambol and Japes, or he just might strangle you.' Uncle Ron advised us. He looked quite cross. Before becoming an Auror, he had helped Uncle George with his joke shop, Weasley's' Wizarding Wheezes, after his brother Fred had died, and now held a certain fondness for the place.

'So' Aunt Ginny said, sidling up beside me as we all walked back through the stone archway into the Leaky Cauldron. 'Did you have fun with Teddy?'

'Yeah, it was alright. He thinks he's my babysitter though. I think he almost had a heart attack when he couldn't find me in Flourish and Blotts.' I laughed.

Aunt Ginny laughed too. I like her. I think she'd be a fun mother to have. Not that I don't love my mum, but sometimes she can be a little strict. And angry. And, well, French.

I watched as Neville kissed Hannah goodbye and tried not to look grossed out. You've seen it all when you've seen your Herbology professor kiss someone. Disturbing in lots of ways. Poor Dobby. Poor Dobby twice, considering he was named after a house elf. No matter how much Aunt Hermione goes on about them, I still think they're a little creepy.

'Are you excited about going to back to Hogwarts?' Aunt Ginny asked me, jerking me away from my tumultuous thoughts.

'Yeah, it should be good.'

'Hogwarts was so wonderful when I went there. The best years of my life.' Oh great, now she's making eyes at Uncle Harry. Why must adults show so much affection?

'Yep. Should be great. Well, what do you know; I've forgotten to ask Teddy something. If you'll excuse me.' I said in a rush a hurried to catch up with Teddy before she could talk about her unrequited love for Uncle Harry again, and how finally, in her 5th year, they had gotten together. Gag me now please.

Teddy looked at me questioningly when I reached him. 'Aunt Ginny's talking about Uncle Harry again.' I explained.

He looked knowingly at me. 'Adults show way too much affection. Take it from the guy who gets strangled by Harry every time he sees me.'

It scares me how alike we can be in our thoughts about adults, but we don't have anything else in common. Except for our family. How could I forget them?