the color red has always been your favorite. you can’t explain why - maybe it’s the countless hours you spent as a little girl, watching your maman carefully apply lipstick to her lips, blotting them on a napkin daintily afterwards. or maybe it’s because it’s the color of most of your cousins’ hair: the weasley gene is truly a hard one to shake. but red is, and always has been your favorite color. it makes you feel warm and cozy, like you’re meant to be wherever you’ve ended up. and that’s partly why you’re glad you were sorted into gryffindor. you love the house colors: a striking goldenrod, and a burning, deep red. hogwarts, you come to discover, is everything that you’ve ever imagine and more. you couldn’t possibly have imagined every single detail. you couldn’t even begin to fathom the complete beauty that is the way the lake looks frozen over at christmas as the sun sets on yet another beautiful day.
before you left for hogwarts, everyone warned you about the work load. especially aunt hermione. you kindly remind her that you’ll be just fine as she shakes her head worriedly and flits away to bother another cousin about school: usually teddy. teddy and you are the two oldest, just two years apart. you’re close. you can’t imagine doing anything without him. you’re best friends, thick as thieves. you’re the peanut butter to his jelly. you’re so simpatico that it almost hurts.
three weeks later, as you nervously search the hogwarts express for a train compartment your first year, he slings a comforting arm around your shoulders confidently steering you towards the compartment where he and his friends are sitting.
that’s when they start talking about you. you’re not quite sure who “they” are, but they’re definitely talking. they want to know about you: who’s the first year teddy lupin seems to be so interested in? why does he care so much about a useless first year?
you notice, but you don’t care. they need something to do other than spend their time talking about you. they don’t understand the bond that you and teddy share. you’re closer than they’ll ever be to anyone, and you don’t mind it.
what you do mind, however, is the fact that he sat you down right next to him in the corner of the train compartment. you don’t talk much: you spend most of the train ride silently passing judgments on teddy’s friends: too short, much too arrogant, seems like a complete wanker.
the train comes to a halting stop, and you feel an overwhelming wave of relief crash over you as you’re ushered into boats with the other first years. you quickly make friends: when you want to be (and you almost always want to be) you’re quite vivacious. you learn their names quickly: in your boat, there’s a lillian, a david, an isabelle, and an albert. you offer them an easy smile as you calmly bring up which house you want to be sorted into.
“gryffindor.” you offer coolly, a smirk crossing your face.
lillian looks at you like you’re insane, and you resist the urge to smack her.
“ravenclaw, obviously.” she sneers. “i’m smarter than any of you lot.”
the urge to smack her grows.
you decide you don’t like lillian much.
david shrugs noncommittally, leaning back with an easy smile. “i don’t really care which.”
you nod slowly, not quite understanding how someone can’t care which house they’re sorted into, but you don’t care. you already like him quite a bit better than lillian. he doesn’t make you want to jump off a building. your gaze turns to isabelle, and a smile lights up your face. “gryffindor. i really hope i bet gryffindor.” a smile appears across your face to match hers, and you two share a laugh. you like her best.
you turn to albert last, who’s currently looking down at his lap, blushing. “i - i don’t know what the houses means.” he admits. ” me mum’s a doctor, an’ me dad’s a lawyer.” you laugh without meaning to. “it’s okay, albert. we’ll explain them to you.” you declare, smiling at him from across the boat. and you do - you explain them as best as you can. you reach the castle soon and your mind is filled with thoughts of gryffindor. your breath catches as you walk into the great hall, and try to fully absorb the beauty of it. you sit with the other first years, patient at first. as time wears on, you begin to curse having weasley as a last name. after what seems like an eternity, you hear your name called.
“weasley, victoire.”
you stand up, practically running to the stool. you nervously look out over the crowd, and teddy’s signature blue hair catches your eye. he offers you a reassuring smile, winking at you. the weight of the sorting hat crashes down on your head.
“another weasley?” it asks, bored. your fists clench immediately. you don’t like anyone or anything, in this case, insulting your family. you can’t help it - you’ve always been protective of them.
“feisty,” it comments with a dry laugh. “i think i know exactly where to put you.”
your eyes are set like daggers on the red and gold banners, and in your head, you’re chanting ‘gryffindor.’
“gryfindoooor!” the hat booms, and you walk slowly to the table, an accomplished grin across your face as you’re greeted by raucous cheers. you slide in next to isabelle and albert at the gryffindor table as lillian sulks on the other side of you. as you settle onto the wood bench, you can’t help but feeling like this is where you really belong.
not at home, not at the burrow, but right here, proudly wearing red and gold.
