Ginny had practically begged him the last time she had been around his flat to visit, and when that didn't work, she laid on a guilt trip that was thicker than molasses. After all, how could Teddy not want to celebrate the wedding anniversary of the people who had taken him in and raised him from a child? It was rather selfish of him to try and skirt the issue, to have the audacity to attempt an excuse about being busy, or needing to go somewhere for work, but there was a cowardly part of him that wasn't above that sort of thing. Ginny, on the other hand, called his bluff in a tone of voice that said he was still groundable, and if he didn't come to the party at the Burrow a few weekends from then, he was in for a world of trouble. The sternness of the older redhead caused him cave, and that was how Teddy Lupin found himself on a grassy knoll with a bottle of expensive wine tucked under his arm. 

Breathing a heavy sigh into the balmy June air, Teddy mentally prepared himself for what he was about to encounter. It would be a weekend full of family; catching up, telling stories, sitting around the table and reminiscing about better times. To anyone else, it would have been a fantastic time, but Teddy had knots in his stomach just thinking about his extended stay. It was all because of Victoire and the chance that he might have to see her, or make small talk with her about the bloody weather, or worse, life after the worst thing that had ever happened to him. He supposed it was a bit pathetic to still be raw over their end, but Teddy hadn't gotten much closure, and it didn't help that he hadn't spoken to the blond since they had decided to call it quits.

Victoire Weasley had been a staple in Teddy's life for as long as he could remember. They had grown up together, gone to school together, spent their summers together, and through following every cliche in the known universe, it only made sense that the two o them fell in love. Their relationship wasn't supposed to have ended the way it did, or at all, but Victorie had been keen to get away from everything and pursue healing, while Teddy didn't even know what he wanted to do for the weekend. He supposed that it just came down to them being different people, wanting different things out of life; that didn't make it hurt any less.

In the time that they had been apart, Teddy had done his fair share of maturing. Gone was his bright, blue hair, now replaced with something more natural that often made people tell him he looked exactly like a younger version of his late father. He was more punctual now, a little less reckless and actually focused on his career instead of worrying about who he could play a prank on. Back in his Hogwarts days, Hufflepuff house was often the butt of his jokes, much to the delight of James and his other friends. Teddy thought he deserved some credit for falling easily into adulthood, but he would never openly admit something like that.

A faint buzzing sound caught Teddy's attention, and after swatting a bee away from his head, he realized that he had been standing on top of the hill overlooking the Burrow for far too long. "It's now or never," he told himself as he resisted the urge to apparate back to his flat. Instead, he forced himself to move, now descending from the crest of the hill where he took the shortish walk through the field below and over to the back door.

After rapping his knuckles on the weathered-looking wood several times, Teddy waited for a response from inside. He busied himself with pushing up the sleeves of his shirt to his elbows, thinking it made his navy blazer look a little less serious and a little more aloof. After all, this was a party for people he loved, not a business meeting or a job interview. The family needed to see that he was happy to be there, and still the same Teddy that they always knew.

"Teddy!" came the delighted squeak from Molly Weasley as she gave him a quick hug and ushered him inside. Teddy followed suit, smiling when he saw her. Her presence was infectious, and warm as ever. The reservations he'd had seemed to melt away as Molly offered him a cup of tea and a place to sit. "You're just in time. Ron and Hermione are on their way, Bill and Fleur are coming with their lot too. Not long now." 

Teddy swallowed his tea after stirring two cubes of sugar. "Great," he remarked, ignoring how ill-prepared he was as he chatted with Molly about things around the house, Ginny's quidditch career and the de-gnoming of the garden.