For QLFC Round 4, prompt is "We're a clumsy family, we make mistakes." Russell Howard
word count: 1,771 words
Teddy was so embarrassed!
He had heard stories about his mother's clumsiness and had thought himself lucky that he seemed to take after his father in his coordination. Sure, like most kids he had his accident prone phase, but nothing like his mother, at least from the childhood stories his Nana had told him over the years.
Teddy had never physically met his parents. However, magic was a wonderful thing, and there was plenty of enchanters who were willing to bring photos of Remus and Tonks alive so Teddy could talk to them. But after this unfortunate, horrible, life-ruining event, he wanted to use a time turner and go back to curse his mother for her clumsiness and passing her genes on to him.
The more rational part of Teddy told him that it was not his mother's fault, that she could not contain her genetics. But as an angst-riddled teenager, Teddy was not thinking rationally after this horrendous event.
It occurred during Teddy's graduation from Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. With the last name of Lupin, he did not have to wait terribly long to walk across the stage. He had been rather nervous about the entire day, wanting to make his parents proud. Do not get him wrong, he loved the Weasleys, Harry, and his Nana, who were all in attendance at his graduation, but there was still an ache watching all his classmates as they smiled with their parents next to them.
With this abstract anxiety of disappointing his parents in his head, it was no wonder that Teddy had barely heard his name when he was called. Even more of a factor could have been that Headmistress McGonagall called out "Edward Lupin" instead of "Teddy Lupin" like he was used to. He heard her on the second call of his name, and he scrambled up the stairs. He smiled shyly at her. She had always given him pitying smiles. Harry said it was because she was close to both of his parents. He shook her hand for longer than necessary and quickly turned to walk across the rest of the stage.
The nightmarish part came next. Teddy was not sure if it was his long robes or if his shoes had been untied, but it did not matter any when his face collided with the hard surface of the stage. He could see his Nana and Harry shoot up in the audience, Mrs. Weasley not far behind them. Teddy might have laid there for a few seconds or an hour, he was not exactly sure. Though it did feel like the latter. He scrambled to his feet, brushing off Professor Longbottom's helpful hands and hurried off the stage.
As he made his way to his seat, he could feel tears prickling his eyes. He had let them down. The rest of the ceremony had gone on through Teddy's blurry eyes and ended with Teddy not standing up with the rest of his classmates when it was over. He only stood when Victoire nudge him gently.
"Teddy?" She questioned, attempting to slide her hand into his. He untangled their fingers, aimlessly walking forward with the rest of his classmates. The blonde stared after the older boy in confusion, turning her head briefly to catch her own mother's eyes.
"Ted," the boy in question looked up as his Nana's voice. The woman looked concerned as her normally colorful grandson took on his regular brunet hair and blue eyes. Teddy attempted to keep walking past, but Harry stuck his arm out.
"Teddy, it's okay," He said softly, knowing that Teddy hated attention, almost as much as Harry himself hated it. Teddy simply shook his head, attempting to keep moving, but Harry proved to be stronger than his appearance alluded to. However, Teddy was half Harry's age and a teenager, so he had speed on his side. With that advantage, it took no work at all to duck under Harry's arm and all the others that attempted to stop him. He was not sure what inspired him to do it, perhaps it was George's hand on his robes or Bill's arms reaching out to lift him from the ground, but Teddy shed his constricting, outer robes and took off running as fast as his legs would carry him.
"Edward!" His Nana's voice rang over the all of the other voices that called after him, but Teddy kept running. He could hear someone behind him, most likely Ginny since she was the athlete of the family and an adult. He liked Ginny very much. She was the perfect wife for Harry, and she always cared about Teddy when he came over, like one of her own children. But if she caught him…No, Teddy could not let that happen. He could not listen to how he had embarrassed and disappointed them. It would be the equivalent of being sent to Azkaban, or at least that is what it felt like to the runaway teenager.
"Flipendo!" His throat felt dry and his teeth clattered together with the anger that came out with the jinx. He felt satisfaction at the sound of a body hitting the ground, the sound spurring him to run faster. He made it to the gates in no time, apparating as soon as he was outside of the limits of the wards.
Teddy had only had his license for two days and had never apparated long distances before, but he was sure it would be fine.
Hours later, Teddy now sat, alone in his favorite hiding spot, a greenhouse that was magically created like an indoor garden, reflecting on the entire event. He would have surely disappointed everyone now! Not only had he run away from his Nana and Harry, but Bill (his bloody girlfriend's father!), and Victoire. He had even jinxed Ginny! Merlin, maybe he should go back in time and curse himself?
"I knew I would find you here," Harry's voice broke the silence in the air, the Auror made his way into Teddy's hiding spot. Though it was not much of a hiding spot, seeing as everyone knew where it was.
"Do you all hate me now?" Teddy asked, wanting to cut right to the chase. If he was going to be disowned then he would rather do it now than later. The others had probably started to pack his belongings back at the house. He could image Bill's manic grin knowing Teddy would not be allowed to date his daughter anymore.
"Now where would you get a stupid idea like that?' Harry huffed, taking a seat next to Teddy on the ground, the elder looking strange in a cross leg position while dressed in fancy robes. Teddy started to explain all the reasons why Harry and his Nana should kick him from their lives, but the other man cut him off as soon as his mouth opened.
"Do you know why your mother built this for you?" Harry asked, looking around the greenhouse, that was filled with more friendly plants than the greenhouses at school. Teddy shook his head, knowing that Harry did not want him to talk right now.
"Tonks wanted you to have a place to rebel when you became a teenager. Said something about my fifteen-year-old angst being enough for her for a lifetime." Harry smiled and Teddy could not help a small one of his own forming.
"But the place where you rebelled had to be soothing as well, not only private. Hence the flowers." Harry continued, shaking his head fondly at his own thoughts. "Remus and Tonks could not garden to save their lives, Remus was convinced, at the time, that his 'disease' could only destroy, not create beautiful things. You had not been born yet," Harry soothed, seeing the disgruntled look on the younger's face, "Tonks, as you know, was too clumsy to do anything delicate. So she had entrusted something so special to your Nana and Molly to create for you." Teddy was confused as to why he was being given this speechand why it had anything to do with the current situation. Harry did not leave him hanging for long.
"You're probably wondering why I am telling you this, you were always smarter than I could ever be. Should have been in Ravenclaw." Harry chuckled when Teddy crinkled his nose and shook his head.
"No, Hufflepuff fits you best. But like this greenhouse, your parents entrusted you with myself and your Nana. Trusted us to keep you safe and feeling loved. To reassure you when things were too overwhelming for you. Whatever caused you to be so nervous and to run from us, it is forgiven. Though Andy is going to tan your rear-end for apparating like that. And I would like you to personally apologize to Ginny, Flipendo is a dangerous jinx." Harry did not mention how Ginny compared the scene to Harry attempting to Crucio Bellatrix. Teddy was too kind and pure of heart to attempt something like that on Ginny, but any spell could become deadly with enough malice.
"Even Bill has forgiven me?" Teddy mumbled, glaring at Harry when the elder laughed at him.
"Even Bill. Vic has been working him over for the last couple hours." Harry teased, standing up from the ground and helping his godson to his feet. Teddy felt a bit more relaxed knowing his girlfriend did not hate him. Harry led him out of the greenhouse, the sounds of his children and family meeting his ears. Teddy bit his lip, grabbing Harry's hand to stop him before they made it too far.
"I felt like I disappointed them, when I fell and especially after how I reacted." Teddy admitted, looking down at his feet briefly before looking back at his godfather. Harry's heart felt like it shattered in his chest, but he was not great expressing his feelings and decided to reply a bit more light-heartedly.
"We're a clumsy family, we make mistakes."
Teddy smirked at Harry, knocking their shoulders together before walking out of the greenhouse. Right on cue, as if Harry planned it, James tackled Albus in the grass in time for Fred to trip over them. If you asked Teddy, it was like a scene out of a Muggle movie. The now blue-haired boy turned to look at Harry, who was grinning brightly at his sons' antics and shrugged at Teddy's disbelieving face.
"What did I say?" Harry teased, Teddy rolling his eyes at him. He turned, planning on finding Ginny. He smirked when Roxanne tripped in the dog pile of boys. A clumsy family indeed.
I hope you guys enjoyed this one! It was so heartbreaking to write!