Ficlet: "Bid Farewell"

[beeinmybonnet]

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Blergh. I'm still ill and fragile, which is no fun at all. But I thought I'd do something constructive, like posting a Teddy-centric drabble/ficlet that's been just lying around doing nothing, even after usomitai looked it over. I blatantly and shamelessly use my own personal post-DH canon here, so it's also sort of a character study?

Title: Bid Farewell
Characters/Pairings: Teddy-centric; Teddy/Victoire, James II
Rating/Warnings: PG
Word Count: 459
Summary: The scene from The Epilogue, from Teddy's point of view.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or any of the characters; I'm just playing around a bit.

~*~
The smoke-filled steam around platform nine and three-quarters was hot and thick, causing Teddy's windpipe to contract in protest. He cleared his throat and made a mental note to tell St. Mungus that their asthma remedy wasn't working very well.

A wand pressed gently against the side of his neck. "Pando Laxo," Victoire said and it was immediately easier for Teddy to breathe.

"Thank you."

"Hey, I'm the one who dragged you here in the first place, remember?" Victoire grinned. "Wouldn't want to contribute to you death, now would I?"

"Oh, I'm sure you'd love to," Teddy said, surveying the mass of people around him. The steam clouded his vision, making the mass faceless and indivisible, like a herd of zebras. All the different noises made him jumpy; he wished he was at home, alone, with his piano.

"Teddy?" Victoire reached out and held his hand, drawing his attention to her. "I don't want to sound greedy, but... Would you mind kissing me goodbye?"

She was smiling, winding a lock of her fair hair around a finger. The next time he'd see her again, it wouldn't be sun-bleached anymore but ashen. Hoping none of her make-up would transfer to his face, he bent his head and kissed her.

Victoire wrapped her arms around his waist, pulling him a little closer, but Teddy contented himself with resting his hand on the nape of her neck. They kept the kiss relatively chaste — he wasn't too keen on exchanging saliva with an audience around him — so he thought the sudden loud gasp was a bit of an overreaction. He broke off and turned his head, not really feeling surprised when he saw James goggling at them.

"What are you two doing?" James asked, looking as if he'd witnessed something extraordinary.

"I'm seeing your cousin off," Teddy replied. "Now please go away."

Victoire giggled into his shoulder as James continued staring at them and then abruptly turned on his heels and ran away. "We'll never hear the end of this," she said, voice muffled by Teddy's jacket. She didn't sound too disturbed.

Teddy shook his head and pushed her away a little so he could give her a quick kiss on the corner of her mouth. "Probably not. You better go say goodbye to your parents, though, before Bill skins me alive."

Victoire nodded and, with a wave, hurried off to her family, who where somewhere in the mass of people and steam. Teddy watched her dissolve into a grey blur and then disappear completely from his view. He looked at the spot where he had last seen her, contemplating, and then turned the other way. If he was lucky, he might be able to say hi to Harry before he went home.

~fin~

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Comments

[chocoluvr.livejournal.com]

Good story showing the epilogue from Teddy's point of view.

[beeinmybonnet.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[heureviolet.livejournal.com]

I liked that this was subtle and restrained, in a way, which is a nice change from the overwhelming emotions you see in most shippy fics :) Plus, I do adore Teddy/Victorie, though I have to say I also was amused by the way you managed to turn the topic back to Uncle Harry in the end... very clever, that :p

[beeinmybonnet.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! Like you know, my Teddy is rather introverted (and apparently I did that well, hurrah! ♥) so grand confessions and slobbering all over your girlfriend aren't really his thing. *g*

Plus, I do adore Teddy/Victorie, though I have to say I also was amused by the way you managed to turn the topic back to Uncle Harry in the end... very clever, that :p

... :3 (Even if I don't write explicit Teddy -> Harry, Teddy will always have a fixation on him. >3)

[crazyparakiss.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this. I like that Teddy isn't showy or possessive and that he is similar to his father in mannerisms. The kiss was also perfect and I love that it makes James seem like an over exaggerator when he runs back to tell his parents (like we all know he does).

[beeinmybonnet.livejournal.com]

Oh, thank you! ♥ I'm always a little worried about the response to my Teddy-related works, since I give him a different personality than most. It's always very nice to be reassured my worries are unnecessary. ♥