Victoire embraced him tightly and warmly, keeping silent as his tear-stained face lay buried in her yellow hair. His breathing was shaky, and she had no idea what happened. It hurt her to know that he had been wronged. She stood there for a moment, letting her embrace reassure him that everything was fine. "It's alright; I'm here," She murmured, wanting to make everything okay. Looking up as she brought her head from his shoulder, she brushed a few strands of raven hair from his face as she studied his face. "What happened?" She asked, her tone most motherly. In short, she was asking who she would have to hunt down and hex as soon as possible.

Kyle shrugged. She was right about Rose not being worth it. He'd convinced himself of that ages ago, but Vic and Matt had convinced him not to give up on her. But now he was sure that all the waiting was in vain, and she'd never see him in the same light he'd seen her. "Touring?" He said with a smirk. "We're going to be in a new city every night... Different girls." He shrugged. "I guess I'll take a page from Matt's book."

Matt took in a shakey breath and exhaled slowly as he let her go and roughly wiped his eyes again. "Lex insisted we talk." He said through a sigh. "She told me everything. Why she did it... She said she was scared that she wasn't putting enough into the relationship. But she told me-" His voice broke again and he swallowed. "She said she won't give up. I told her she had to, because theres no way I could ever love, or trust her again, but she refuses." He sat down again and ran his hands down his face.

She sat next to him, Victoire's hands firmly grasping one of his. A stream of expletives, both English and French, ran through her mind, but she refrained from speaking them aloud. It would only upset Matt even more, if that was possible. "She-she," Victoire stammered, getting ahold of her wits, "She can't. I won't allow it. I swear to Merlin I'll-I'll," And there she went again, blubbering like a confused, angry idiot. "She'll have to face much more than me if Lex even dares to toe the line." Her brow was knit as if she was already mentally calling in reinforcements: Rose, Kyle, even Jay, Meg, or Alyss could help. It might be tough getting Teddy, even Al, to chip in, but she would try.

"I know, love. Trust me," Victoire gave him a reassuring smile. "It's just that she needs to understand that." Lex had been gone from Hogwarts for a while and some things would change; even though Victoire didn't want to admit it, Lex was pretty in her own unique manner. No doubt once she got over Matt she would be pursuing Jay or someone of the like. For now, if Lex pulled any stunts, Victoire was sure to confront her about it. Victoire had never had the gall to impede on another couple's relationship, but Lex was a different creature. "I just want you to be happy," She spoke, squeezing his hand, "We don't need anyone causing issues. For Merlin's sake, it's almost Christmas." Her painted lips formed into a lopsided grin, almost as if willing him to smile along with her.

Victoire made to frown, but kept up her neutral face so as not to make Matt feel any worse than he already did. He had made a slight improvement, but a wrong word or move could and would make him teary-eyed once more. "It's alright. I'll manage," She choked out a laugh, trying to imagine the female force that was Mrs. Tuck. She had managed to raise the rowdy twins, so she would be a force to be dealt with. Maybe she would be like Grandma Weasley, tough but sweet? Who knew. "Besides," Vic brightened up momentarily, "After Christmas, you'll be staying with me for New Years. And Kyle can tag along too, if something between he and Rose clicks at the Yule Ball. You never know."

Victoire smiled sweetly as she lay next to her sweetheart on the old couch, in his arms. And now, there was no place that she would rather be. "I'd love that," She murmured, happy that he was happy. Matt should have known that whenever he needed her, she'd be there at his side. He probably didn't realize how his genuine, heartfelt words made her melt. "We haven't woken up together for a while." Maybe if Lex sees us together in the morning, she'll learn to back off. Merlin only knows, She pondered momentarily before snuggling into Matt a bit more, sighing softly as she traced patterns over his forearm.

Matt reluctantly stood from the couch and pulled Victorie to her feet as well. "C'mon. The room of requirements is probably our best bet." He said, leading her out of the music room, and down the hall. They weren't ten feet down the hall before Kyle came down the other direction. "Hey." He called. The look on his twins face was that on concern, and he was curious as to know what happened, or what was wrong.

Kyle was rather relieved to see that Matt was with Vic, and looked a little less distressed then he'd assumed he'd be. "Hey." he said, stopping infront of the happy couple. "I hear you and Lex had a bit of a run in." He said, trying not to let on that it was his idea that she try and talk to him about the whole ordeal. "You alright?"

Matt took a breath and shrugged. "I'm alright now, yeah." He said, winding an arm around Vic's waist. He gave a weak smile and shrugged again. "Just kinda wish she'd stay away, you know." He glanced up the hallway, making sure Lex wasn't anywhere to be seen. "I won't be in the dorms tonight." He said, glancing over at Vic with a small smile. "I don't really think I can look at her, and she's probably in the commons waiting for me to come in, so she can bombard me once again." he rolled his eyes sarcastically and looked back to his twin. "Did you ask Rose to the ball yet?" He asked, trying to change the subject.

*has missed a lot* sorry!
 

And they were so close to escaping too! "Yes actually. I'm sure you do know that both of our parents are on the board. It's actually a welcoming gift --" she lowered her voice "you can surely remember when you got yours after first arriving..." she said. "Anyway, I'm sure you know how valuable these brooms are. They obviously need to be personally delivered." she said. Hmm... she'd buy that right? It wasn't the first time they'd used that excuse.

She then looked at the ground and shook her head. "And I'm afraid that in my excitement I've spoiled the surprise. The recipient is soon expecting me. Besides, I'm sure we've already told you too much already. He musn't know the board is involved in this. Not everyone receives a gift you know. We wouldn't want the less favorable teachers to be jealous of those like yourself." she said looking over at Professor Jacobsen. She hoped that that was enough to convince her to let her go. Meg was pretty confident in her flattery skills. And really, what was the worst that could happen? She and Aly had the headmaster in their pockets. Psh, really, the only thing that could come back to haunt them is if Teddy spilled about where the brooms really came from. And she was hoping that by the time anyone found out they'd already be gone for the summer.

Rose sat on her bed staring at the ceiling and replaying the events of the day. That Lexi girl... Victorie and Matt had been together since the start of the year... she couldn't possibly think that she stood a chance against her cousin. True, Matt and Lexi were a more... ummm... predictable match... but it seemed that Matt and Victorie truly loved each other. (Which kind of freaked Rose out.)

Spotting some of Victorie's gowns hanging up she headed over. She ran her fingers along the fabric. It was another year of not being invited to one of these. And this year she didn't have homework to distract her since she had already finished.

Sighing she left the Gryffindor tower and headed toward the owlery. She hated to admit it, but she was disappointed that Kyle hadn't asked her. Obviously his thoughts about her had changed since the beginning of the year confession. Was it so hard to believe that she wanted to get to know someone before jumping into anything? And now that they have gotten to know each other he wasn't interested anymore. Such was the curse of Rose Weasley.

Victoire smiled at Kyle in greeting but left Matt to ask about Rose. She remained serene, but her mind was beginning to race. Had he taken the plunge? She sorely doubted it, but it would have been nice for Rose and Kyle to have already been on each other's arm.

Teddy sauntered into the Entrance Hall, readying to go to the Great Hall for a late meal. He had been sluggish today, but the coming days would be much more exciting. The holidays were near and the ball was the next day. He grimaced slightly at the thought of not having a date. He had gone with random girls, and once with Victoire, to the balls during his student days but now that he was a teacher it would seem improper to date a student, no matter if they were only two years or so away from his age. It wasn't like he planned to take Professor McGonagall at any rate. Smirking, he made to turn a corner when he spotted Rose, a rather solemn look on her face. Something was definitely wrong, and he wouldn't stand for it. Jogging to catch up, he stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trousers before beginning. "Hey," He grinned in an attempt to get her to perk up, "How've you been, love? Long time, no see."

Kyle hung his head, not really wanting to admit that he hadn't been able to find the courage. He'd wanted to, and he'd been meaning to when he brought up going to the ball... He'd just been too afraid he'd get shot down again. Besides, now that Lex was here, she'd need someone to go with. He glanced up at Matt, who gave him a knowing look. Without a second inbetween his look, Matt grabbed Kyle by the arm and dragged him off down the hall. "What are you doing!?" He all but shouted in shock. He stumbled over his own feet several times before he managed to fall into step with his brother.

"If you aren't going to act like a man, I'm going to treat you like a third year, and ask her for you." He said with a smirk. If there was one thing he knew Kyle hated, it was being embarassed and put on the spot. "I have put too much into this relationship of yours to see you mess it all up." His voice dropped a little and he continued. "Mine's falling apart, and at least one of us needs to be happy. And if it won't be me, it's going to have to be you." He looked over his shoulder at Victorie and held out his hand for her to take when she cought up. "So I'm going to drag you to the gryffindor common room, Vic's going to get Rose, and I'm going to put you in a chokehold until you ask the poor girl to the bloody ball." He laughed a little, earning a rather dissaproving look from his twin.

Eira looked at the two girls and frowned. Their story did sound feasible. It was true she did receive numerous gifts upon her start as a professor. It wasn't exactly looked well upon, but she might have actually liked the attention in the beginning. How was she to set an example, when she was once on the receiving end. Shaking her head, she sighed. "If it really is from the Board, then I really can't say anything." she replied as she shook her head. "But if I EVER find the two of you using my personal floo again without permission, it's detention for you and house points." Lifting her wand, she unlocked the door and turned her attention back to her lesson plans.

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Alyss blinked. Jacobsen actually bought it. Looking back at the HoM professor, she nodded and smiled. "Of course, it will never happen again." Well, next time they just wouldn't get caught. Nudging Meg, she made her way toward the door as it unlocked. Gripping the handle, she opened the door and quickly exited before Jacobsen could change her mind, pulling Meg with her. There was no way that they were going to be anywhere near her if she changed her mind.

Getting a safe distance away, she shook her head. "I can not believe that just happened." Seriously, that was the last time she would trust the intel she got from those other prefects.

Meg gave the Professor a nod and hurried out after Aly. She gave a little laugh at what Aly said. "Yeah... oh well, I was almost hoping she would send us to the headmaster. I'd like to see what that old bat would do." she replied with a smirk. "He sure does always seem tense anytime we're nearby, wouldn't you say?" she added.

Now, where did Professors enjoy hanging out...

"Oh hey Teddy... er... Professor Lupin..." Rose said spotting her favorite Professor. "I'm doing great actually. I've already finished all my homework for the Holiday so I guess I'm just feeling a bit bored." she said. Yup, she looked bored, right? "So I was going to head to the owlery to visit my owl." she explained. "What about you, how are you doing?" she asked.

Victoire caught up with Matt and took his hand swiftly. It seemed that Kyle was putting their back-up plan into action; it seemed like the only thing that would work at the moment. But if it worked, that was all that mattered. It was hard for Victoire to keep a smirk from her red lips. Kyle wouldn't have any comeback for this scheme.

"Teddy, Rose, just Teddy," Teddy chuckled, his eyes twinkling as Rose acted like the star student that she was. "Just because I'm a professor doesn't mean that we're not like family." They walked a few more paces, Teddy dodging a passing ghost, before answering her again. "Bored? Owls? I'm just fine, I've the one with the unexciting job. But you! You should be getting your things ready for the ball and for the holidays! Hell, I'll see you over the holidays, but as for the ball..." A devious look overcame his face momentarily, "Shouldn't you be color coordinating with your date? Isn't that what girls like to do?" He knew he was pushing it, but he had to. Teddy had heard snippets from Al and Victoire about the dumb luck that they were having with getting Rose and that Kyle guy together. He could care less for Kyle's twin for obvious reasons, but was only trying to help out for Rose's sake.

Alyss smirked and looked down the hall. "He would have just given us a swatch on the hand and let us go with a warning." It wasn't like they would really get into all that much trouble considering whatever story they had, their family and the board would probably back up. "You know, his time here is coming to a close. I mean, it would only take a board vote to out him," she smirked as they walked down the hall.

Stopping at the end of the hall, she looked to the left and then the right. "So exactly, where are we going?"

Victoire's smile seemed to match Matt's as Kyle and Rose were cornered. Her arm hanging on Matt, she glanced at a rather surprised-looking Teddy and an unaware Rose. Teddy threw Victoire a puzzled look, although he took a few steps back when he got the notion of what was going on. "Oh, look at the time!" He grinned and pulled back his sleeve deftly as if to check the time. The only problem was that he had no watch and that muggle objects such as that didn't work in Hogwarts. Victoire let a small laugh escape her lips at his mistake. "Well, Rose, I see you have company, so I hope to see you at the ball tomorrow!" He muttered quickly to cover up his mistake before waving goodbye to her and turner the corner into the next corridor. Victoire resisted bursting out in laughter; ever the comedian, Teddy was.

Meg laughed. "It's true." she said. "I think now would be another fabulous opportunity to say that I love my life."

Meg thought for a moment. "Well... if I was a young, handsome Professor I'd be..." she pondered out loud as she turned a corner. "Right there." she said spotting a gathering of people.

"Professor!" she called hiding the brooms behind her back. Okay, so they weren't really hidden. Nobody could hide 5 brooms behind them.

Rose laughed. "Fine, Teddy" she said. She then raised an eyebrow. "Really? Could you actually see me color-coordinating anything? That's Victoire's thing." She didn't mention the part about not being asked. She'd hate for him to make a big deal out of it.

Then Matt, Victoire and Kyle approached. "Hey." she said greeting all of them. "Sure, what's up?" she asked Kyle.

Kyle glanced over his shoulder and gave Matt the 'I-am-going-to-rip-you-limb-from-limb' look before turning back to Rose with a nervous smile. He could feel his stomach twisting and turning and he jammed his hands into his pockets and glanced around the hall nervously. It was hard enough to do this when he was alone, but with Vic and Matt watching...

Matt laughed along with Vic at Teddy's awkward dispersal, but was actually pretty glad he was gone. He caught Kyle's look and lead Vic down the hall, out of earshot. "He dosen't like making a spectale out of things, and I think thats what he's thinking this is." He said quietly, leaning against the wall beside a rather large statue of a dragon. He pulled Victorie back against him and wound his arms around her waist. "But we've got a good enough view from here... So at least if she tries to hex him into next week, we can stop her."

Kyle heard the others footsteps fade away down the hall, glad they'd left. "I meant to... Uh... Ask you earlier in the village, but the whole thing with Lex distracted me." He said, meeting her eyes for a second. He could already sence that he was going to get shot down, again, but he pressed forward anyway. "I know you're not going to the ball with anyone... And I'm not either... So do you.. maybe... Want to go... With me?" He felt like a complete idiot. There had never been a time in his life where words had been so hard to come by, like they were now. It's fifth year all over again when I asked Julia to the ball... Ugh. He thought.

Rose watched as all the others slipped away. This was obviously another set-up planned by her cousin. She looked back at Kyle. "Sure. I'd love to." she said. "But on one condition. You have to promise to taste everything I eat or drink tonight. I do not want a repeat of what happened at the beginning of the year." she said with a little laugh.

Alyss smirked and nodded. Yes, who wouldn't love their lives. Seriously, the two of them did have pretty amazing lives and all. Little actually stopped them and it wasn't all that hard for them to get away with close to anything.

Glancing to in the direction of the gathering of people, she shrugged. "Well, it looks like a great place to start at least." she replied as she followed her friend's lead. Maybe she would find her own boyfriend on the way as well.

Victoire peeked out from behind the statue of the dragon, smiling as things seemed to be going as planned. They were quite adorable when they interacted; if only they weren't so stubborn. But it seemed like they would be going to the ball together after all, and that's what mattered. "I think we've done it," She whispered to Matt in triumph, a wide grin on her face. Merlin, finally! She thought smugly.

Teddy had made a narrow escape, hoping that everything would go fine with Rose and her presumed crush. He hadn't been paying much attention and started as he heard someone call him. Turning his head, he noticed the young lady that had approached him earlier with a rather triumphant smile on her face. "Oh, hello," He smiled, noticing a few elongated packages that she was failing to conceal. "Those wouldn't be what I think they are, would they?" He teased, remembering their quidditch conversation earlier in the day.

" Hi victoire." He greeted casually not really feeling in the mood to really talk at the moment thanks to the interruption from Lex Jay was likely never to know how serious Alyss was about Albus Potter. Sure she was the most likely source to know but he couldn't bring him self to ask it had been difficult enough even mentioning the subject to Matt.

He had got lost in the throught breifly and forgot about Victoire for a second and when he finally remebered shewas waving and walking off. " Bye," He called after her with a small wave as well.

"Oh. Don't worry about it. I know how family is, I've been getting a lot of that too." Rose said. She glanced up the hallway to where Teddy was now standing... with Meg... and Aly... and some suspicious looking packages. What was going on here? This year had made everyone's lives crazy, and it was only halfway done.

"So... errr... what now?" she asked turning back to Kyle. "Do we need to... ummm... color coordinate or anything?" she asked. Yeah... this so wasn't her area of expertize.

"They happen to be exactly what you think they are." Meg said with a smile. "Perhaps we should go someplace more private than a busy hallway..." she suggested. Okay, so maybe this wasn't a busy hallway, but she was sure that Jay had supersonic hearing and could interrupt from nearly a mile away if the word 'broomstick' was mentioned.

"Oh, and this is Aly." she said introducing her friend. "Have you come across Potter recently? I believe that he needs to ask her something."

"Finally," Victoire spoke in a relieved tone as they began to leave the hallway. Turning to take one last look at Rose and Kyle, she noticed Alyss, Meg, and Teddy off in the distance. What were they doing together? Hre eyebrows rose suspiciously before she turned the corner with Matt. He was probably completing some of his professorial duties or something of the sort, maybe confiscating the packages that she was carrying. "Of course, babe," She smiled, reassuring him that she would stay. "Why wouldn't I?" She kept a soft grin on her face, but it faltered slightly. Had he begun to doubt her faithfulness to him? Maybe she was reading into things too much.

Teddy nodded, "Good, good. I can't believe you braved this weather to retrieve them, though." He gestured through the window at the torrential snow that was blanketing the castle and the grounds. "And sure, I suppose. I guess we could take a trip to my office?" He innocently inquired. Either Teddy had become naive after his Hogwarts years or he chose to ignore the subtle hints that his gut was giving him. Did Meg have something up her sleeves? He tried to think not. "Oh, sorry," He turned to Aly and shook her delicate hand briefly, "Forgive my rudeness. Nice to meet you, Aly." Releasing her hand, he began, "And no, I actually haven't seen Al, or... Mr. Potter around lately." Even though he was an authority figure, it was a bit ridiculous to call Al by such a title. "Maybe go near the Gryffindor common room? He might be there."

Victoire stepped into the room, but Matt had sounded a bit off as he had spoken. She walked over to the couch and sat down, knowing that there was a bit of unspoken tension between them. Maybe it was just her imagination? Hopefully a nice, peaceful night and a good night's sleep would make her feel better. Besides, it wasn't time to be doubtful or argumentative; the holidays were here and the ball was the next day. She kicked off her shoes to the side of the sofa as she waited for Matt to join her.

"Yes. Well... I'm afraid I couldn't let my owl out in this dreadful weather."Meg said. "That... and I think I caught a hint of eagerness in your voice this morning. Not that I blame you, I too want to see how these fly." But... that was for a different reason. "Oh, and your office sounds like a brilliant idea. I wouldn't want to be caught handling these around." Merlin forbid she get bombarded by people right now and have to show her ugly side.

"Hmm... that is odd, isn't it? I wonder where he's gotten off to." she said looking over at Aly. Someone needed to keep a better eye on their boyfriend.

Rose laughed. "That is true." she said. "So what are you up to now?" she asked him. Maybe she could just tag along with whatever he was up to. It would be more fun than going to the owlery alone.

Victoire sighed, taking his hand in hers as she knew it was better not to beat around the bush. "It's nothing," She began, "Well, nothing really. I guess just having Lex around more often just irks me." And seeing Meg hanging around Teddy wasn't too pleasant, but she swept that thought away. Matt was hers and was all that she needed; why care about exes? "I know it shouldn't bug me, but it does, at least a little bit." She frowned, knowing that she sounded childish. But it was the utter and complete truth.

Victoire gave him a half-smile, knowing that Lex was causing everyone grief. It wasn't her presence but her rude actions that caused everyone to become grieved. "I hope so, babe," She murmured, glad that it was simply the two of them. It had been a little while since they had been alone and it felt wonderful. Sure, they were going to the Yule Ball tomorrow and they would be visiting each others families over the holidays, but they would be surrounded by others and would barely have time to speak to each other so intimately. "I just realized something," She muttered, her smile growing, "We've been together for over three months. I think that might be somewhat of a record for us both, not counting a few other people." She referred to Teddy and Lex, but Matt would understand what she meant.

"I was heading to the owlery." Rose said. She didn't really have a good reason for it. It was just something to do. "You're welcome to join me if you'd like." she said.

Hearing her statement about them being together for longet then three months sent a smile to his lips. Matt nodded. "Yeah, in the last year or so anyway. Lets just hope everything stays so good." He said, as he gently tilted her chin upwards so he was looking her in the eyes. He leaned down a little and placed a soft, loving kiss on her lips.

"Yeah, sure. Beats staying in my dorm all night." He said with a light laugh. He followed her off down the hall towards the owlery, figuring it was a good time to check on his and Matt's owls as well. They tended to get cranky when left alone too long. "Soo..." Kyle started, trying to think of something to talk to her about. He still didn't know much about her, even though they'd had several conversation. And other then animals and books, he had no idea what sort of things she was into. "Read anything interesting lately?" He asked, lacking a better game plan.

Jay shrugged as he watched Vic walk off down the hall he turned and continued on his way heading towards the kitchens in search of a snack.

Jay looked up ready to respond with some snide comment about being blind but he noticed it was one of his house mates. and to be honest since getting back to school after his fathes funeral he just wasnt in the mood " Don't worry about it Lex."

"No reason that it shouldn't," Victoire smiled and closed her eyes as he gave her a soft, sweet kiss. It had been a while since they had been able to share such sweet moments together. No matter how good that she felt about being with her boyfriend, she felt a change in the atmosphere. It was as if her gut was telling her that something was coming and she wasn't able to tell if it was either positive or negative. She swept the thought away as she attempted to enjoy the moment. "Babe, I'm tired," She yawned softly, patting her mouth with her hand, "We've both got a long few weeks ahead of us. I think I'd like to head to bed early tonight." She frowned slightly, knowing that she might be letting him down by falling asleep on him.

Victoire stood and took his hand, nodding as they walked over to the bed to lay down. The emotional stress of the past few days had wore her out and she knew that much more would be coming her way. Matt's mother seemed like a daunting woman and she needed to be prepared to meet that force of nature. Removing her coat and pulling off her socks, she pulled back the covers and lay on the bed, sleep already threatening to overtake her. "Goodnight, love," She murmured, a soft smile on her face.

Rose laughed. "Interesting...? That would depend on if you mean interesting or exciting. Pretty much anything we translate in Ancient Runes I would consider interesting, but not at all exciting and hardly ever worth repeating... unless you enjoy ancient farming techniques." she said.

Lex looked at Jay curiously. He'd usually have some sort of sarcastic comment already out by now, but he didn't even seem to be there really. "Hey, is everything okay?" she asked, genuinely conserned for the other Slytherin.

Jay shrugged lazily. " Eh... Just tired really. It was exhausting being home." he answered half truthfully he was more out of sorts about if or not Alyss was officially dating Albus Potter but he was not about to share that detail with ANYONE.

Jay ached his brow it wasnt common that people even his own house mates made a point to start a real conversation with himout sideof his clique of friends. " No where really just out for a walk, want to join me?" he found him self uncharacteristically asking.

Jay shrugged " Not really Just out for some fresh air, DOesn't really matter to me where we end up. DId you have somewhere specific in mind you wanted to go?"