Part Two: Liar, Liar

Part Two: Liar, Liar

Sixteen months later ...

It was the perfect evening for a wedding, and now that the ceremony had concluded, the guests had gathered for the reception. A gentle breeze blew through the back garden, carrying along the music and laughter as dozens of guests celebrated the happy occasion. Hundreds of fairy lights provided the only illumination, twinkling like diamonds against the night sky. The scent of roses was heavy in the air...which was no surprise considering the number of blooms Victoire had managed to cram into the small space.

Hermione Snape stood along the edges of the party, a glass of champagne held in her slender hands as she watched the festivities. She smiled as she watched Severus toss his walking stick onto a vacant table so that he could guide a reluctant Eileen across the dance floor.

"Daddy is determined to make Gran have a good time."

Hermione turned to face her daughter, her amused smile turning fond as she noticed once again just how grown up her daughter had become. Abigail had always been a lovely girl, but the last few years had transformed her little darling into a beautiful young woman. Dressed as she was now, in her elegant blue dress robes and her dark brown curls accented with tiny sparkling crystals, Abigail was stunning. Hermione only wished her daughter's eyes could be filled with unrestrained joy on this very special day. Instead, they were shadowed with a lingering hurt that Hermione wasn't sure would ever completely disappear.

"You know your father," she said reaching out to briefly embrace her daughter. "He'll do anything to get a rise out of your grandmother."

Abigail smirked...an expression inherited from her father...and said, "He does enjoy baiting her."

Hermione laughed. "That he does." They stood side by side, and Hermione glanced at Abigail from the corner of one eye. "Where is Edward?"

"He's talking Ministry business with Uncle Percy," Abigail replied, waving a hand in the general direction of a table filled with Ministry officials. "He enjoys keeping up with the latest in politics."

Hermione smiled grimly. "Yes, I know."

"Mother..." Abigail warned.

"Well, I'm sorry, Abigail," Hermione said through clenched teeth as she offered a forced smile to a passing guest. "You know how I feel about that boy."

Abigail huffed in exasperation. "He's not a boy, Mum. He's a man..."

"Barely," Hermione muttered under her breath.

"...and yes, you and Daddy have made it perfectly clear that you don't like him, but I do, and that's really all that matters."

"I just don't understand what you see in him, sweetheart. He's so pompous and self-righteous. And I don't much care for the way he treats you...as if you're nothing more than a trophy to be won and gloated over." Hermione stopped and closed her eyes. "I'm sorry. You're right, of course. It's none of my business."

Abigail nodded curtly and sipped at her champagne, although Hermione noted that she refused to look at her.

Hermione sighed. They'd had the same conversation many times over the past few weeks, usually ending with Abigail storming from the room. Hermione knew that pushing her daughter was a mistake, but for Merlin's sake, the boy was all wrong for her! In Hermione's opinion, he was a self-centred arse who cared more about how Abigail looked on his arm than who she was as a person. Severus suspected that being connected to a child of two decorated war heroes was just icing on the cake for someone with such lofty political aspirations.

Whilst Hermione hoped that Edward Albright was nothing more than a temporary fixture in Abigail's life, she couldn't help but worry that her daughter was attaching herself to this man in an effort to forget about the one she truly wanted and believed she could never have ... especially now. It wasn't lost on Hermione that Edward was the exact opposite of Teddy Lupin in every way; Abigail wanted no reminders of the wizard who had unwittingly broken her heart.

Unconsciously, Hermione's gaze sought out the turquoise-haired young man who had garnered her daughter's affection so many years ago. He was partially hidden in the shadows, as though he would rather be anywhere else. He had always been a regular visitor at the Snape home ... until a year ago. Around that time, his visits had become few and far between, until finally, he had just stopped coming; his absence had been palpably felt by the Snape family. Well, everyone but Severus, she amended. Although even Severus had wished for Teddy's return once Abigail had brought Edward home to meet them.

Hermione smiled sadly as she noted how much Teddy looked like his father at that moment, his expression tired and drawn. His eyes were filled with an inherent kindness and yet were so sad that her heart ached for him.

"Today must be terribly difficult for Teddy," she said absentmindedly, forgetting that her daughter was standing next to her.

Abigail stiffened, her expression unreadable. "I wouldn't know," she said coolly.

Hermione was filled with remorse for her careless words. She knew how hurt Abigail had been by the abrupt loss of her friendship with Teddy. When he had left for Romania without a word to anyone, the poor girl had cried for days...this from the child who had rarely cried over even the harshest of taunts but instead preferred to internalise them and strike back with her cutting tongue ... much like her father had been wont to do.

"Did he ever explain why he left the way he did?"

"No," Abigail said tersely. "He's never explained anything, and at this point, I don't really expect him to."

Despite her daughter's impassive reply, Hermione could hear the hurt, the pain, lingering just under the surface. Knowing that her daughter would not want her pity, she settled for simply standing next to her, letting Abigail know that she was there, if needed. She couldn't help but notice how her daughter's eyes returned again and again to the turquoise-haired wizard who was now talking and laughing with Ben and his wife.

Hermione and Abigail stood together in silence, watching as their friends and family joked and danced and laughed. As the current song came to an end, Hermione noticed Edward stand and then shake hands with Percy.

"I suppose I should get back to my date," Abigail murmured softly.

Hermione's brow furrowed at Abigail's reluctant tone. She reached out and put a hand on her daughter's arm before she could move away. "Sweetheart, are you sure you're all right?"

Abigail closed her eyes briefly before turning to face her mother. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Hermione's expression was filled with concern. Having watched her daughter over the course of the evening, she knew that not all was as Abigail wanted it to appear. "Are you certain you're over Teddy? You loved him for so long, and now ...." She trailed off, not knowing what else to say.

Abigail's smile did not quite reach her eyes. "Mum, I feel nothing more for Teddy Lupin than a deep, abiding affection. He was a very good friend for a very long time, and what I thought was love ...." She shrugged. "It was a crush. Nothing more. Now, if you'll excuse me, Edward is waiting for me."

Hermione watched as Abigail approached her date, laying a hand on his shoulder to alert him to her presence. He greeted her with a kiss to the cheek before he pulled her tightly to his side, his smug expression causing Hermione to frown. Edward began to speak, and Abigail shook her head in disagreement. He persisted, however, tugging her toward the dance floor until she finally nodded her agreement, albeit reluctantly.

It didn't escape Hermione's attention that even as Abigail smiled as she danced with Edward, her gaze was drawn to Teddy Lupin once again.

"Oh, Abigail."

*******

Teddy grinned as his favourite "aunt" edged around the dance floor and slowly made her way over to where he was standing.

"Teddy!" Hermione exclaimed as she finally reached him, one hand reaching out to clasp his. She squeezed and said, "It's so good to see you. We've missed seeing you around the house this past year."

He blushed, his expression sheepish, and then smiled softly. "I missed you, too, Aunt Hermione."

"I had hoped we would see you last night, but Ben said you weren't getting in until this morning ... something about a Portkey mix-up?"

Teddy nodded and hoped his guilt wasn't written all over his face. "Yeah, the International Portkey Office set it for the wrong date...I didn't notice until I missed the departure time." He swore he could hear Abby's voice chanting in his ear, Liar, liar, pants on fire.

"Tell me," Hermione said, her eyes focussed on the dancing guests, "are you back to stay, or will you be returning to Romania?"

Teddy shrugged. "I haven't really decided yet. I had hoped to stay, but ... things are different now," he murmured.

She turned to him and placed a hand on his forearm. "Are you all right with all this? The wedding, I mean."

He grinned wryly. "I wouldn't have been Ben's best man if I wasn't. He and Victoire have something special, something she and I never had. They're perfect together, and I'm thrilled for them."

"Truly?" Hermione asked, her face etched with concern.

"Truly," he affirmed. "Victoire and I weren't meant to be." He glanced at where his former fiancée and Ben were dancing, gazing into each other's eyes as they swayed to the music. "They were meant for each other."

Hermione smiled. "Yes, it certainly does appear that way. She's a lovely girl, and she makes my son very happy, indeed."

"I'm glad to hear that. They both deserve to be happy."

Hermione nodded and then shocked him by deftly changing the subject to the one he had thus far managed to avoid. "Abigail looks lovely this evening."

Of their own volition, his eyes sought her out. He found her...and her date...on the dance floor, and he watched the man whisper into her ear. She laughed, then, the melodic sound floating above the music, and Teddy's jaw clenched, his hair turning a deep green.

"Teddy?"

He looked down and noticed Hermione's eyes slide up to his hair. He flushed and forcibly swallowed the jealousy that had coursed through his veins, until his hair returned to its usual colour. He hated that his emotions were always so exposed, always on display for everyone to see.

"Why couldn't I have got Dad's plain brown hair?" he muttered as he raked a hand through his rumpled locks.

Hermione laughed softly and once again, she placed a hand on his arm, her expression turning serious. "She still cares for you, you know."

Teddy shook his head in denial. "After the way I left things between us, I sincerely doubt that."

"It's true," she insisted. "A mother knows these things. Talk to her. All right?"

"Maybe," he said with a shrug.

Hermione patted his arm. "Just try...that's all I ask. And now, I think I will go see if I can find my husband. I believe he owes the mother of the groom a dance," she said with a wink. "Come by the house soon, all right? We've missed you."

"I will," Teddy promised as she walked away.

When she was gone, he turned his attention back to the dance floor...and Abigail. Teddy had observed her all evening, searching for any sign that she might still hold some affection for him, but he'd seen nothing to indicate that she still felt the same as she had a year ago, or even that she still thought of him as a friend. Oh, she looked at him ... probably cursing him to Hades and back for running out on their friendship. It would be nothing less than he deserved.

Abby.

He missed her terribly.

Teddy ran shaking fingers through his hair again. The blame for their estrangement lay solely with him. He had been the one who pushed her away ... but damn it all, he hadn't known what else to do.

He had been engaged to another woman...yes, that had been an idiotic mistake, a last-ditch attempt to piece together a relationship that had been falling apart at the seams, but that was beside the point. He had made a commitment to Victoire, and then suddenly he discovered his best friend was in love with him. How the hell else could he have handled things?

He did the only thing he could have done...he distanced himself, setting up new parameters between himself and Abigail. He would be cordial but distant, friendly but aloof.

It had nearly killed him.

Of course, never one to let sleeping Hippogriffs lie, Abigail had immediately confronted him about his abnormal behaviour, and he had ruthlessly brushed aside her concerns. He had been an emotional mess by that point, caught up in an engagement that he was fairly certain he did not want and desperately attempting to keep all thoughts of Abigail out of his head.

And then Victoire had called off the engagement. Teddy's wish to remain in Britain and his desire for a large family had been her deciding factors. She wanted to travel the world, and although she might want a child one day, she also might not. "It's better to end things now," she had said, tears sliding down her cheeks, "rather than get married and then wake up one day and realise how incompatible we are."

Teddy had been relieved in a way. He probably would have married her otherwise, if for no other reason than because he had said he would. By the time he and Victoire had amicably ended things, however, the friendship he'd shared with Abigail had become strained, the damage already done.

He had felt horribly guilty, and yet he'd remained silent. He had still cared about Victoire. They may have been wise enough to realise that a marriage between two people with such vastly different plans for the future would never work, but that didn't mean his feelings for her had just vanished. But at the same time, his mind returned again and again to Abigail and what he had overheard in the Weasleys' garden.

He couldn't remember ever having been so confused. And so, unable to deal with the break-up and his conflicted feelings for his best friend, he'd packed up his belongings in one afternoon and without a word to anyone, left for Romania to work with Charlie at the dragon reserve. He'd contacted his grandmother once he'd arrived and told her he'd just needed a change.

The solitude at the reserve had given him time to heal, time to think, time to move on and look forward to the future. The only problem was, he had discovered that he couldn't imagine a future without Abigail in it. For months, he had struggled with what that meant, with what he wanted. Did he miss her friendship, or did he want something more?

He had waited for some defining moment, some miraculous sign or great epiphany, but nothing had happened. Instead, the answer had come in a quiet moment of reflection as he stood underneath a star-filled night sky and wondered if Abigail was out there somewhere, looking at the same moon as he. It was then that his heart had whispered the answer that had been there all along...he had been just too blind to see it and too stubborn to admit it.

He'd been nervous and anxious to return to Britain...and to Abigail...and Ben and Victoire's wedding had provided the perfect excuse to go home. Even so, he had been such a coward that he'd waited to leave until he could not wait any longer, taking the very last Portkey he possibly could and still make it to the wedding on time.

Watching Abigail now as she danced and laughed with her date, Teddy knew it wouldn't have made a difference if he had come a few days earlier. He was too late...she'd moved on without him.

He looked away and sighed. Hermione was right. He still needed to talk with Abigail, to apologise for how he'd hurt her, and then he could return to the reserve to lick his wounds in peace.

His gaze unerringly returned to her, and he watched as she whispered something to her date and then walked away from the area where the reception was being held. A small smile touched his lips. He knew exactly where she was going, and it would be the perfect place to talk to her away from listening ears.

Without another thought, he followed her away from the party and into Molly Weasley's flower garden.

*******

Abigail wandered further into the garden, desperately wishing she had remembered to grab her wrap. The evening air had cooled once the sun had set, and what had been a warm breeze had quickly turned chilly. She wrapped her arms about her torso in an effort stay warm.

Finally, she reached a familiar tree and stopped, a sad smile upon her lips. Any other day she would have sat on the ground, but that was not an option when wearing dress robes. Instead, she simply stood and looked out at the lovely view of the countryside, her mind finally able to relax.

There had been too many people at the reception, too much chatter and laughter ... too much joy. Whilst she was happy for her brother and Victoire, she couldn't have possibly stayed one more moment in the midst of such happiness...so she had left, hoping to have just a few minutes alone to clear her mind and calm her nerves.

She hadn't expected to see Teddy at the wedding. He had been gone for so long, with no contact whatsoever, and when he had not been at the rehearsal the previous evening, she had believed he had simply skipped out. Seeing him at the wedding, standing at the front next to Ben, had rattled her. She had wanted to run to him and throw herself into his arms, whilst at the same time, she had wanted to slap his smiling face and scream at him to leave. She breathed in deeply and then slowly exhaled. As long as he stayed away from her, she would be fine.

"I thought I'd find you here."

Abigail spun around and found herself face-to-face with the very man she was attempting to avoid. "What do you want?" she snapped, her eyes narrowing as his step faltered.

He held up his hands in surrender and flashed the crooked grin she had always adored. "I come in peace," he joked.

But Abigail saw his trembling hands, the nervous twitch in his cheek, and most visibly, the dark blue of his hair...a sure indicator he was nervous.

"I'd like to be alone," she said, turning away from him in hopes of keeping her emotions in check. "Please leave."

"No."

She whirled to face him, anger and hurt rolling off of her in waves. "Go away, Teddy! I don't want you here!"

"I think," he said, his words deliberate, "we need to talk."

Abigail laughed mirthlessly. "Oh, I see. Now you want to talk. When I wanted to talk, you ran off and disappeared without saying a word, and now...over a year later...you decide you're ready to speak to me? Well, you know what? This time, I don't want to talk to you. Goodbye, Teddy."

She began to move, attempting to edge around him and escape his presence as quickly as possible. Teddy reached out and spun her around, pulling her against him as he held her firmly to his chest. Her heart raced at the contact...it had been so long since she had been in his arms...and traitorous tears filled her eyes. She blinked them back; she refused to cry one more tear over Teddy Lupin.

"Let me go," she said, pleased at how steady her voice was.

"No."

"Damn it, let me go!" she demanded, squirming as she attempted to get away, but Teddy only pulled her closer. Realising that he wasn't about to budge, she sighed but remained rigid in his arms. "Fine. Say what you have to say, then."

He tucked her head beneath his chin, and she heard him inhale deeply. An old familiar ache returned ten-fold, and she realised in an instant that she had only been fooling herself by thinking she was over him. She was such a fool.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured into her hair. "I was an utter bastard, leaving the way I did. You didn't deserve that."

Abigail closed her eyes in a vain attempt to block out the memory of the pain, the sense of abandonment that had rocked her entire world. "No, I didn't."

"I don't know that I can explain, but I have to try." He was quiet for a few moments, and Abigail waited in impatient silence as he gathered his thoughts. "I overheard you."

Her brow furrowed. "What are you talking about?"

"On your eighteenth birthday ... after you and I talked. Your dad was comforting you. Victoire lost her hair clip, and I was coming back to find it. I...I heard what you said, and I put it all together. The boy you were crying over ... it was me."

Panic and humiliation pressed at her from all sides, and she could no longer contain her tears. She had spent years desperately hiding her feelings for her best friend, only to be found out thanks to a missing hair clip. In an instant, the events of the past year and a half clicked into place...why he'd been so distant, why he'd left without a word, why he'd never written. Hysterical laughter burst from her throat until her breath came in choked gasps, and she struggled to free herself from his grasp.

"Oh, gods. Oh, gods!" She had to get away...as far away as possible. "Let me go!" she cried, but he held fast. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed against him even as she begged him to release her. "Please, Teddy," she whispered. "Please, let me go."

He tightened his embrace. "Not yet. I have to finish my apology, and then you may do with me as you will."

He fell silent again, and Abigail waited in horrified mortification as silent tears slipped down her cheeks and onto Teddy's robes.

"I was shocked, of course," he finally said as he once again rested his chin on the top of her head. "I didn't know what to do, so I pushed you away, hoping it was just a crush and that you would get over it if I wasn't around."

Abigail bit the inside of her cheek and screwed her eyes tightly shut in an effort to contain the sob that threatened to escape at his words.

"It apparently worked," he said, the timbre of his voice unusually stiff, "but it also made me aware of a few things that I hadn't been before. I missed you more than I could have ever imagined. I hadn't realised just how big of a part of me you were ... are," he corrected.

Abigail shook her head against his chest. "No. Don't lie."

"I'm not lying."

"Then why did you leave?" she cried, her anger giving her the strength to wrench herself from his grasp. "You left without a single word! No owls, no Floo calls, nothing for over a year! And now you want to waltz back into my life with your paltry apologies and expect everything to just return to the way it was? It doesn't work that way!"

He looked at her with such sad eyes that Abigail almost moved forward to embrace him, but her anger kept her rooted to the spot.

"I know that," he said. "I was a fool, Abby. When my relationship with Victoire ended, I was in a lot of pain. It was the right thing to do, but you have to remember...I thought I loved her. At the same time, I was missing you desperately, but I had already ruined our friendship. I was confused by what I was feeling. I couldn't take it anymore. So, I left."

"Yes," she said stoically. "You left."

He nodded. "It was a snap decision. I had to get away for a while, sort out my feelings."

Unable to stem her natural curiosity, Abigail asked, "And did you?"

"Yes. That's why I came back." He ran a hand through his hair, which had turned an even darker shade of blue, telling Abigail that he was beyond nervous...he was frightened of her reaction to what he was about to say.

"And?" she asked when he remained silent.

"I love you."

Her eyes widened in disbelief, and she tried to step back but was stopped when he grasped her arm again. "No." No it wasn't true, couldn't be true. Not now. Not after everything he'd put her through. Not after she was finally getting over him. Liar, liar, pants on fire. She shook off the inner voice which taunted her. It was too late. She wouldn't let him hurt her anymore.

"I love you," he repeated as he moved closer. He released her arm and cupped her face in his hands. "I've loved for you for so long, Abby. I just didn't realise ... didn't recognise it for what it was."

"No. You loved Victoire."

He shook his head. "I thought I did. But it wasn't love...it was infatuation, affection ..." He grimaced. "... lust. Victoire and I ... we weren't meant to be. She belongs with Ben. And I belong with you. I love you."

"Stop saying that!" she cried, her entire body trembling as hope warred with rage.

"Please, Abby," he whispered.

"No. You made your choice when you left. You were my best friend." She watched in morbid satisfaction as he winced at the past tense. "You've had your say. You apologised. You aren't forgiven. Now, let me go."

"I love you," he repeated. "Please give me another chance...a chance to earn back your love and trust."

Abigail stood rigidly, refusing to soften her heart. He had known how much she loved him, and he had abandoned her. It was irrational, but she felt betrayed, and she was not ready to forgive and forget.

"Please," he pleaded.

And then she looked into his eyes, and her breath caught in her throat. For as long as she could remember, she had dreamt of him looking at her just like that, with adoration and desire and love burning his eyes. Unconsciously, she leant toward him, her hands rising of their own accord to rest upon his chest.

"Oh, Abby," Teddy breathed as he began to lower his head, his gaze focussed upon her mouth.

Her eyes slipped shut, and she rose up on her toes to meet his kiss when ....

"Abigail? Where the dickens are you?"

Startled, Abigail turned her head in the direction of Edward's voice. Teddy's hands fell away, but his eyes remained locked on her.

"Ignore him," he whispered. "Come with me. We can work this out. Please, give me a chance. I love you."

"Abigail? Are you out here?"

Anger washed over her as she realised she had been about to forget everything Teddy had done for just one kiss.

Without thinking of the consequences, she held Teddy's gaze and called out, "I'm over here, Edward."

She had never seen such agony as she did on Teddy's face. It shocked her, amazed her. She immediately questioned her decision, but there was nothing to be done about it now. Edward stepped into view.

"Ah, here you are, darling. Oh, and who is this?" he asked as he wrapped an arm around her waist.

She gave a pained smile and made the introductions, wincing as Teddy refused to shake Edward's extended hand.

Teddy's gaze never wavered from her face.

Edward cleared his throat. "Well, we should get back to the party. It was nice to meet you, Mr Lupin."

Teddy remained silent, and Abigail allowed Edward to lead her back toward the party. When they reached the edge of the garden, she looked back over her shoulder to where Teddy was still standing, watching as she walked away, perhaps out of his life forever.

Many hours later, she lay in her bed and wept yet again over Teddy Lupin, haunted by the memory of him standing in Molly Weasley's garden, his brown hair clearly visible in the moonlight.

A/N: A huge thanks, as always, to my beta readers, Subversa and DeeMichelle, and to my Brit picker, LettyBird. You ladies are my golden trio!

Up next: The conclusion ...