It all started out as a joke. Uncle Ron had bet Uncle Harry that Teddy couldn't convincingly pull off Saint Nicolas. Ron was convinced that the fifteen year old boy couldn't shift himself into a fat jolly guy and Teddy was unwilling to pass up the opportunity that he could look like anyone.
When little Lily Potter wandered down the stairs and caught a glimpse of a jolly white haired fat man sitting on the sofa. She shrieked ran upstairs and refused to come down until Santa himself went up to explain just what had happened.
Teddy sat down on the side of her bed, stroked her bright red hair and in his deepest voice told her that he wanted to know what she wanted for Christmas. Excited beyond belief the tiny girl proceeded to tell him everything that she wanted and in the middle of the night woke up both of her brothers and forced Santa to listen to their groggy desires.
It became a tradition.
Four years later when James was thirteen, home for Christmas from Hogwarts he locked his door on Christmas Eve. When Teddy knocked, Lily by his side, James shouted at him to go away.
After Lily had returned to bed saddened that her brother refused to talk to Santa, James came out.
"You think you can be anyone you want to be," James mumbled as he poured himself some milk.
Teddy sat at the table a full white beard on his eighteen year old face.
"What?"
"You think you can be anyone you want to be. Who the hell cares if you can look like Santa you won't ever be Santa!"
James stalked off and Teddy sat at the table, half eaten cookie abandoned.
The next morning Teddy shot James a meaningful look when Lily, Albus, Rose and Hugo opened their gifts squealing in delight about what Santa had brought them.
"I won't tell them," James assured him in a whisper as he walked past to help his mother with breakfast.
It never made sense to Teddy, the fact that James responded to violently to the thought of Teddy pretending. When Lily and Hugo found out they both laughed and forced Teddy to be Santa still. They took pictures and laughed while everyone took turns telling Santa what they wanted. Everyone but James who year after year stood in the background of the photos glaring at the camera.
It took another five years for Teddy to even begin to understand the depths to which he didn't understand James. He walked into the teen's room to find him in a passionate embrace with someone. With a roar of shock and indignation, and a mock laugh from Teddy who in embarrassment turned away.
"What the hell?" James shouted hiding his partner from view.
Except Teddy recognized the scarf and sweater on the floor. The same ones that James' friend Vince had worn that morning.
"It's time for dinner," Teddy blurted out and then slammed the door closed.
At the table James didn't look up from his plate and Vince never turned any lighter than beet red. James wandered off alone before dessert and when Teddy spotted him heading off toward the trees followed him.
"If I could-" James started softly as Teddy came closer, "If I could be anyone. I would be anyone."
"Why?"
"Imagine the things you could change. No one would have to know you. No one would expect things of you."
James whirled around his face alight with the magic of freedom. The taste of it sweeter from within the confines of his imprisonment. The labels he wore were so brightly plastered upon him that they were nearly tattooed upon his forehead and every day more were added.
"I could be someone. Someone besides James Potter. Imagine the things I could do."
"And what are those things that James Potter can't do?"
James turned away blushing furiously.
"Does it have to do with what I saw earlier?"
The lack of answer became the only answer that Teddy needed.
"James-"
"Could you imagine me being gay? Along with everything else. Dad wants me to be an auror. Mum wants me to play quidditch. Every girl in the school looks at me and Grandma Molly is already hinting at greatgrandkids. I just want to be someone else sometimes."
Teddy's green hair turned a soft brown. His nose was a little wider and longer than the usual nose he went for. He'd seen the nose on a picture of his mother and had liked it enough to keep it. His eyes were brown. The most boring and flat shade of brown that James had ever seen.
"And what if you lost yourself in it? What if you couldn't remember who you were anymore? Could you imagine not being you?" Teddy whispered moving closer the feeling that had reared its head earlier so clear in his chest as he backed James against a tree.
James nodded.
"I couldn't," Teddy murmured.
Without hesitating Teddy placed a hand on the wall behind James leaned forward and put his thin lips on James's pouting full pink lips.