Teddy Lupin studied his face in the mirror above his bureau. He scrunched up his face and his hair turned to a dark, midnight blue. With a frustrated sigh, he tried again, changing his hair to a vibrant purple.

Neither felt right.

He wasn't sure what his natural hair color was, it had been changing since about five minutes after he had been born. That's what his grandmother had told him, anyway.

Teddy looked down at the picture of his parents. It had been taken on their wedding day and they grinned up at him. On the table beside his bed was a photo album his godfather, Harry Potter, had given him. It held pictures of him and his parents when he was a baby as well as pictures of his mother and even a couple of pictures of his father from his Hogwarts days.

When he compared himself to the photos, Teddy thought he had his father's nose and his mother's chin. His eyes were dark brown, both his parent's had brown eyes. Whenever he wanted to blend in or feel close to him, he would turn his hair light brown, like his father's. Once, he had even added gray streaks, like Remus' hair in the wedding picture, and it surprised him to see how much he looked like his father.

Everything Teddy knew about his parents had come from his friends and family. If he wanted to hear about his mother, all he had to do was ask his grandmother. Andromeda had entertained her grandson with stories of his mother for as long as he could remember. And any time he mentioned Tonks to Harry or Mrs. Weasley or any off the members of the Order, they would smile and sometimes chuckle a bit before telling him some amusing story.

He knew his mother, Nymphadora Tonks Lupin, hated her first name. Her father and husband had called her Dora, everyone else had called her Tonks. But Andromeda did tell him once that she loved being called Mrs. Lupin and couldn't wait for the day she and Remus would be accepted and people would call her that. He knew she was sweet and curious and very clumsy. She was also madly in love with his dad and very, very brave.

Whenever he asked his friends about his father, they would smile, but it was a sad smile. Remus Lupin had had a hard life, having been bit by a werewolf at a very young age and having to deal with all the prejudice that was thrown his way. Then he went to Hogwarts and met James Potter, Sirius Black, and Peter Pettigrew. They became the Mauraders. He knew the stories of James and Sirius becoming animagi so his father wouldn't be alone when he transformed. Harry said Remus had been the best Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher Hogwarts had ever had and that he was a patient, kind man who loved his son and wife very much. He too had been very brave.

Their bravery had cost his parents their lives. They had both died fighting Voldemort and the Death Eaters at Hogwarts.

There had been many times in Teddy's life when he had been angry at his parents for dying. They had just left him, left him with his grandmother and gone off to die.

But he knew that was unfair. They had both gone into the battle thinking they would survive and make this a better world for him. He loved his grandmother and the extended family he had with the Potters and the members of the Order, but he still missed his parents.

"I wish you could be there tomorrow," he whispered to their picture. He knew Harry and Ginny and their kids were going to King's Cross station with him and his grandmother, but it didn't make up for not having his parents there.

"Teddy, dear, are you in there?" Andromeda knocked on his door.

"Yes, come in."

She opened the door to the room that had once been her daughter's and smiled at her grandson. "All packed, love?"

"Just about."

"Harry and Ginny will be here in another hour for dinner."

He nodded.

"Is there anything I can help you with?"

"No, I, uh, I'm almost done."

Andromeda slowly closed the old trunk he was packing and sat on the edge of his bed. "Come here, Teddy, I want to talk to you."

He shuffled over and sat beside her, pushing his hair out of his eyes.

"I have something for you, dear." She reached into her robes and pulled out a thick envelope.

It looked old with the corners bent a bit. He didn't recognize the handwriting and it wasn't from Hogwarts.

"Your father wrote this almost eleven years ago, when you were just a baby. Remus gave it to me and asked that if anything should happen to them that I give this to you just before you left for Hogwarts."

Teddy took the envelope in his hands and stared at the carefully printed letters. His father had written those words.

"They loved you very much and would be so proud of you, darling." Andromeda kissed the top of his head as she rose.

Teddy didn't hear the door open or close, but he knew he was alone as he continued to stare at the letter. He felt a painful tug in his chest. He had plenty of pictures of his parents and heard a lot of stories, but this letter was something private between him and them.

He turned it over in his hand and slipped his finger under the seal.

There were at least two dozen pages inside, folded in half and perfectly preserved. Each page was crammed with the same neat printing as was on the front of the envelope. The lines of writing were straight and even. He stood and walked over to his desk where he sat down and laid the parchment on the desktop, smoothing it out.

My Dear Teddy,

If you are reading this then, unfortunately, we are not with you. I am sorry for that, more sorry than you can ever imagine. I hope you're not angry, we're doing what needs to be done in order to make this a safer place for you. Everything we're doing, we're doing for you, Teddy.

As I'm writing this, I'm sitting at the desk in our room at your grandparent's home.

Teddy stopped reading and looked down at the desk. Eleven years ago, his father sat in the same chair, at the same desk, writing the letter he was reading now. It sent a pleasant thrill into his stomach.

You're sleeping in the bassinette next to me while your mother is sleeping on the bed. You're only 6 weeks old and you don't have any particular sleeping pattern, waking us several times in the night. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I enjoy getting up with you in the night. I love holding you, watching as your mother feeds you, watching you fall asleep in my arms.

Teddy, you are a joy. You are the best thing to ever happen to your mother and me. Whatever happens, please know that we love you so much. In the six short weeks you've been with us, you've made our lives so much better, richer, and worth fighting for.

I'm sure you know by now that I am a werewolf. My life hasn't always been easy or happy. But in the midst of the prejudice and intolerance, I met the best people in my life. I met James Potter and Sirius Black and Nympadora Tonks. I had hoped to one day tell you all these stories myself, but I know that might not happen. So I decided, on this night when I couldn't sleep, to write them down.

I want you to know me and your mother, Teddy, not just the stories other people will tell you about us. I want you to know that we did live and we loved each other and we loved you.

Your mother and I met when we were both members of The Order of the Phoenix. I'm sure you've met some of the members. We had all made a pact to look out for each other's families if anything happened to any of us. It is a comfort to know they're looking after you.

Teddy thought of the Weasleys, Kingsley, and Hagrid. He played with Bill and Fleur's children, Ron and Harry had taught him quidditch, George Weasley was always slipping him new items from his store, he and his grandmother often had dinner with Kingsley and his wife, and Hagrid would let him play with Fang and help him feed the magical creatures in his care. They were the members of the Order he was closest to and he couldn't imagine his life without them.

Dora and I met at a meeting at 12 Grimmuald Place, Sirius Black's house. It was hard not to notice her. She was so cute and her hair was bright pink in short spikes. She was so curious and quick witted. I think I was smitten with her from the first moment, but I tried not to think about it. She was so young and beautiful, there was no way she could be interested in an old werewolf.

Sometime later, she told me that she noticed me on that first day too. I made her feel nervous and clumsy, even more so than usual. One thing I'm sure you've heard about your mother is that she was a klutz. And she was. I found it rather endearing. She found it rather annoying.

We both tried to hide our feelings while we were doing our work. Your mother is a talented auror and I work for the Order, trying to recruit other werewolves or doing odd jobs for other members. We saw each other at the Order meetings, but in the beginning we made up excuses to see each other. I spent a lot of time at Grimmuald Place with Sirius and Dora would find reasons to stop by. We became friends.

After we lost Sirius, he died fighting the Death Eaters at the Department of Mysteries in the Ministry of Magic, we became closer. Our grief brought us closer. It was in that time together that I fell in love with your mother. In the face of battle and loss and injury, she was so strong and resilient. There is a sweetness and innocence about your mother that some people mistook as inexperience. Dora knew what she was doing and she is good at her job. Your mother is a very talented, capable witch. She is very intelligent and quick witted with a wonderful sense of humor. She trained with an auror named Alastor Moody, you've probably heard stories of Mad-Eye Moody. She was one of the few people not intimidated by him and she would stand up to him when no one else would.

I didn't think I could marry and have a family, that's just not something werewolves did. But your mother was very persistent. I knew for her own good that I should leave her alone, but I couldn't. I was drawn to Dora and I couldn't stay away. As much as I tried to distance myself, we kept getting thrown together.

Bill Weasley was terribly injured by the same werewolf who bit me as a child. When we saw how Fleur supported him, your mother grabbed me and made me face our relationship. And I am thankful every day that she did.

We married in a very small service on a quiet Saturday afternoon. It was a beautiful July day. Because of the anti-werewolf legislation, it had to be done in secret. Your grandmother and grandfather were there, as well as Moody, and Kingsley and his wife. We are still hoping to have a party when this war is over so we can celebrate with the people who weren't there. Your mother actually bought you these tiny little dress robes complete with a tiny bow tie for you to wear to the party.

I'll be honest with you, Teddy, I was terrified when your mother told me she was pregnant. I didn't think I could be a father, I was so afraid of what my being a werewolf would mean to you. Would you be a werewolf? A half-werewolf? Was I too dangerous to be around a baby?

I actually left at one point. I tried to join Harry in his search for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. I had convinced myself it was for the best for you and your mother. I thought you would only be safer.

Luckily, Harry saw right through all that. He called me out and told me I was being a coward. And you know what? He was right. It takes a strong, brave person to be able to stand up to a friend, even more so than it takes to stand up to an enemy. I am so thankful he did that.

I did go back to your mother and I told her of my fears. We worked through it and in the end, I fell even more in love with your mother and you.

We decided early on that we wanted Harry to be your godfather. We didn't choose him because he is my friend's son or because he is famous. There is so much more to Harry than any of us ever imagined. He's brave enough to stand up to He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, but also to me. He's a hard worker and never shied away from a challenge. But besides all of what has been thrust upon him because of his birthright, he is still a good kid with a sharp mind. And, above all else, he's a good, caring friend. Harry will look out for you and care for you in a way no one else can.

You were born on a windy day in March. Your mother's labor started very late the night before. We called the healer in and brought him to your grandparent's house. It was a long night, we couldn't go to the hospital, but your mother was so incredible. She was cracking jokes in the midst of the pain and she never once complained.

You came into the world at 2:39 pm. You cried for only a moment and I thought there was something wrong, I nearly pummeled the healer when he told me to calm down. But you were fine. Fine, healthy and beautiful. You had a small thatch of black hair that turned ginger within an hour. Your mother was so proud and so excited to see you were a metamorphmagus. That is extremely rare.

For myself, I was so excited to see you were normal. No extra hair, no wolf tendencies. I could have danced to the moon and back. Your mother held you as I held your mother and we watched you, just watched you for over an hour. When Dora finally gave in and fell asleep, I slipped out and went to tell the others of your birth. I had to find Harry and ask him to be godfather. I had to tell someone about you before I burst with the excitement of it all.

I had mentioned before that I never thought I could have a family, but I can admit I was wrong. I am so happy to have you and your mother. There are a lot of things I wasn't able to do because of my condition, a lot I felt I had missed out on. But none of that matters. None of the loneliness, none of the sadness, none of the shame matters anymore. I have found a happiness I never knew I could have. Teddy, you and your mother have completed my life and made me a better man.

I want to leave you with something, just in case anything were to happen to me in this war. I thought long and hard I decided the best thing I could leave you is my love and my memories.

Teddy read through the twenty pages of stories his father transcribed for him. Stories about the Marauders time at Hogwarts, stories from Remus' time teaching and his time with Tonks. Teddy devoured the stories one after the other, actually laughing out loud at some of the Marauder's antics and gasped at others, surprised that his father could be a part of such troublemaking. He learned about the hidden passages in the castle and how his mother and father had wooed each other.

It was years later before Teddy fully realized what his father was doing with these stories. He taught his son several life lessons, among them the importance of friendship, staying true to yourself, keeping your word, working hard to achieve your goals, and, no matter what anyone told him, the dark arts was never the right path.

When Teddy came to the end of the last story, his father wrapped up his letter to him.

I hope you've enjoyed this little trip down memory lane I took, Teddy. I hope against hope that you never see this letter, that I am around to share these stories with you myself. If I am not, just know that I love you, we both do, and everything we've done was for you.

I know with Harry as your godfather, you will be well looked after and cared for. I know you'll grow up to be a wonderful boy your mother and I will be proud of. With your mother's curious nature and my love of learning, you'll go far and you have the power to succeed in all you do.

With Love,

Your Father,

Remus J. Lupin

There was one piece of parchment left. It was a note written in large loopy letters and with a thrill, Teddy realized it was from his mother.

Darling Teddy,

My sweet little boy, like your father I hope you never have to see this. It means we won't be there to see you onto the train to Hogwarts. Well, we may not be there physically, but we will be there in spirit. We will always be watching over you.

Your father has written you a wonderful letter and given you a gift of his memories. There is only one thing I want to add. I want you to know that your father is not just "an old werewolf". Your father is a clever man, this letter was his idea, he felt that giving you our memories is a way to give you a part of ourselves, and he's right. He's a kind man who cared so much for his friends. He worked hard as a teacher and with the Order.

I wish you could have seen him with Sirius, they were like children picking at each other and laughing. But he also had a serious side. Whenever he is working or thinking hard, a little line appears between his eyebrows, I hope you inherit that from him, it's so cute.

He is such a good father. Most nights when you wake up, he beats me to the bassinette. His patience never comes to an end. One night, he walked the floor with you for almost an hour. When I woke the next morning, he was sleeping, sitting upright, in the rocking chair cradling you to his chest. It was so sweet, I took a picture of you two. My two boys.

Teddy lifted his eyes to the photo album on his nightstand. He knew that picture, it had always made him laugh. His father was sitting up in the rocking chair with his head flopped to the side, his mouth hanging open, and his hair in his eyes. It now took on a whole new meaning.

The day I gave birth to you was one of the two best days of my life, the other one being the day I married your father. We are a happy little family and I hope we continue to be. I dream of giving you little brothers and sisters to play with. I dream of getting us a home of our own someday where you can have a dog to play with and a yard to run around in. I will continue to hope and dream for that.

I'm so happy you're a metamorphmagus. It can be so much fun, I've loved it and it helped me to become an auror. It can help you in some ways, but you have to remember that it is a very special gift, not something to be taken lightly and not something to be used to cause trouble. I don't want you changing your appearance to play mean tricks or to confuse your teachers.

I know you'll do well and go far in life, Teddy. With a father as smart and clever as yours, you'll do well in your classes. If you're sorted into Gryffindor, find yourself a nice girl from Hufflepuff. And know that no matter what you do or where you go, your parents love you very much and are very proud of you.

I love you more than you can ever know,

Mum

Teddy sat back in his chair and tried to make sense of the emotions churning up inside him. Part of him was tremendously sad that he hadn't had a chance to really get to know his parents, while another part of him was so happy to know them a little better know. For the first time in his life, his parents were not just a photo or a story someone else told him, they were real.

"Teddy, you in there?" Harry called as he knocked on the bedroom door.

He had been so involved in his reading, Teddy hadn't heard the company arrive. Not ready to share this special secret with anyone else, he quickly folded up the papers and slipped them carefully into the envelope before calling out. "Yeah, Harry."

The door opened and Harry Potter stood in the doorway, larger than life, with his three year old son, Albus, on his back. Teddy had never really thought of him as famous or as "The Chosen One". He was just Harry, the guy who had bought him his first broom and made him wear dress robes to be the ring bearer in his wedding to Ginny.

"How's it going, Teddy, all packed?"

"Yup."

Harry tilted his head and studied the boy. "When your hair's that color, you look so much like your father."

Teddy's face lit up. "I know."

"People always said that about me too. But my eyes were my mother's. Just like you. Tonks' eyes were dark and always seemed to twinkle like she was trying not to laugh."

"She laughed a lot, didn't she?"

"There was a time, in my sixth year, when she had been sad. But once everything fell into place, she did. She was so happy with Remus, she glowed."

Teddy slipped the envelope into his trunk and locked it. "Do you think I'll be sorted into Gryffindor or Hufflepuff?"

Harry let his son slide off his back and watched as he ran over and threw his arms around Teddy's leg. With the patience often shown by his own father, Teddy ran his hand over the little boy's dark hair.

"I don't think you need to worry too much about that. You are certainly brave enough to be a Gryffindor and loyal enough to be a Hufflepuff. Both are great houses and you'll do well in either one."

"That's a very diplomatic answer."

Harry laughed. "Now you sound like your father too."

A loud crash came from downstairs followed by the sound of Ginny chasing after their four year old son. "James Sirius Potter if you don't stop running in the house I will put a body-bind curse on you and stick you in the corner!"

Harry rolled his eyes upwards. "There are times I wonder if I didn't curse that poor boy by naming him after my father and Sirius. It's like he feels the need to be doubly bad to live up to the names."

Teddy chuckled. He thought back to the stories his father had written him and found he had to agree with his godfather. "Maybe it'll all even out when Albus gets bigger, he can help rein James in."

Harry looked down at his youngest son who was gazing adoringly up at Teddy. "I can hope. Hey, Alby, wanna go downstairs and find Mum?"

"We got you a pwesent." Albus told Teddy.

"You did?" Teddy's cheeks turned pink with pleasure.

"It was supposed to be a surprise," Harry sighed, picking up his son and swinging him onto his hip.

"It's a—" Albus was cut off when Harry covered his mouth with his hand.

"Al, do we need to discuss what a surprise is again?"

The little boy shook his head, causing his already messy black hair to stick out even more.

"We don't tell people what surprises are, do we?"

Albus shook his head again.

"If I move my hand, are you going to tell Teddy what the surprise is?"

After hesitating a moment, Albus nodded.

Teddy roared with laughter.

"We're waiting for Ron, Hermione, Rose, and Hugo to get here, but if we do it won't be much of a surprise any more. Come on." With his hand still over his son's mouth, Harry led Teddy down the hall.

Teddy glanced once more back to his trunk. He was so grateful for that letter and the connection to his parents and he was so glad they had thought to make Harry his godfather.

Andromeda was sitting on the sofa in the front parlor holding Lily, Harry and Ginny's one year old daughter. Ginny sat in a chair by the fireplace pulling a small train set out of her purse for James to play with.

"Teddy!" Ginny got to her feet and pulled him into a tight hug. "How are you? Are you excited about tomorrow?"

He shrugged. "I guess so."

She held him out at arm's length. "Merlin, you look like Remus. Oh, he would be so proud of you."

"I know," he replied, knowing she wasn't just saying that.

"Mummy," Albus whined, tugging on Ginny's shirt. "I wan' my hippogwiff."

Reaching into her bag, she pulled out the stuffed hippogriff Hagrid had given Albus. "There you go, love."

Teddy felt a twinge of jealousy at the interaction between mother and child. But it passed quickly when he saw the fire in the fireplace grow and turn green.

"That would be Ron and Hermione," Andromeda said, getting to her feet. "We'll be able to eat soon."

"Careful, Rosie." Ron stumbled out of the fire, clutching his daughter to him. She squealed as they stopped spinning.

Hermione appeared a moment later, Hugo strapped to her chest in some kind of backward knapsack contraption.

"Oh, come in, come in," Andromeda rushed over to greet them. "How are you?"

"Great." Hermione hugged her and kissed the top of Lily's head.

"I would be better if Rosie didn't insist on covering my eyes every time we travel by Floo," Ron said as he set his daughter on the floor to play with the boys.

"Why does she do that?" Ginny asked.

"She's afraid of the spinning and she covers her eyes with one hand and my eyes with the other. Last week we missed Mum and Dad's fireplace and ended up at George's house."

"Oh, Teddy, this is so exciting!" Hermione ran over to hug him. "You're starting Hogwarts tomorrow. I am so jealous, I would love to go back to Hogwarts."

"You would move in if you could," Ron grumbled. "Just remember, Teddy, if you ever have any questions about the history of Hogwarts, Mione knows."

"Everyone's here, can we give Teddy his present?" James asked.

"Yeah, pwesent!" Albus cheered and clapped.

"I don't see why not," Ginny said, glancing at Harry who nodded.

"Come on, into the den." Andromeda led the way.

Harry threw his arm around his godson's shoulders. "This is just a little something I really wanted to get you before you went off to school."

"I helped pick it out," James told him.

"Me too," Albus added.

"Yes, you too," Ginny said.

Sitting in a cage on the desk in the den was a large, gray owl. Teddy raced over to admire it. He was the most beautiful bird he had ever seen.

"What d'you think?" Harry asked, remembering the first time he had seen Hedwig.

"He's fantastic," he whispered, sticking his finger between the bars to stroke his feathers. The owl nipped gently at his finger and shook out his feathers.

"Now there's no excuse to not write to me every week," Andromeda said, half jokingly.

"You'll have to come up with a name," Harry said. "Give it some thought and…"

"Moony." Teddy interrupted. "He's shiny and silver like a full moon."

There was a moment's silence before Harry laid his hand on Teddy's shoulder and squeezed gently. "That's a fine name."

"I want an owl," James whined.

Ginny laid a hand on his head. "You'll get one when you go to Hogwarts."

"If you go," Ron teased.

"I'm going to Hogwarts, Uncle Won!" James stomped his foot.

"Yes you are," Ginny assured him. "Don't listen to your Uncle, he barely made it through Hogwarts."

"You're going to have to find yourself a pretty girl to help you with your classes." Ron winked at his wife.

"Teddy, don't listen to him," Hermione warned. "Concentrate on your studies and don't worry about girls."

"What are you talking about? Girls are an important part of the Hogwarts experience."

"Really, Ronald? Like Lavender?"

"Why do you always have to bring her up?"

Harry shook his head. "Teddy won't have much time for girls right now, he needs to work on his quidditch practice."

"No," Andromeda corrected him. "Teddy will be concentrating on his studies."

Teddy grinned at all the people crowded in the den, arguing over what was best for him. His parents might not be with him, but he had a great family.