Fatherly Advice

Teddy hesitated outside Harry's office door. Would he laugh at me? he thought. No, surly not, he's my godfather, almost my father. Teddy hesitated for 30 more seconds then just as he was going to knock, his knuckles an inch away from the door, it opened.

Harry stood there looking at his godson confused then he smiled. "Teddy! What are you doing here?" Teddy hesitated once more contemplating what to say first, "Can I come in?"

"Sure, step in to my office," he said with a flourish of his arm.

Teddy had been in this office countless times before when he had spent afternoons at his godfather's house. Harry always said he had work to get done and that's why he played in the office, but no matter how much work it was, Harry always managed to end up on the floor playing with Teddy.

Family and friends come first, and then work. There are no exceptions.

"What's up Ted?" Teddy looked at Harry fleetingly. Then he said the impossible…

"I-I'M ASKING VICTORIE TO MARRY ME!"

There was a moment of silence before Harry broke it. "Well I'm proud of you when are you going to ask? How are you going to ask her? I don't care but I know she will." Teddy blinked, Harry obviously didn't get just how scary this was: Would she not like the ring? Would it fit? Would she hit me? What if I can't ask her? What if she said no? Teddy didn't realize he had spoken the latter of his fears until Harry said, "She won't say no?"

"But what if she does?"

"She won't. She loves you; you know that, I know that, even Ron knows that. Everybody knows that she loves you and you love her. Now you still seem worried, what's wrong?"

"I don't know how to ask her, like you said she'll care, Andy will care, and her mom will care. How'd you ask Ginny?" Harry smiled.

"Well it didn't go exactly as I had planned it to," Harry said shaking his head leaning back in his chair. "I had been carrying her ring around in my pocket for about a week, wouldn't let it out of my sight. I, uh, I freaked out at Hermione," Teddy raised an eyebrow, it wasn't entirely impossible, but it was still surprising. Harry chucked, "Well you see she found the ring in my pocket and took it out to look at it. I was at work. I practically tore the whole Department looking for it. I embarrassed myself a bit.

"But that's not the point," Harry said, catching up with himself. "We were at the Burrow for New Years. We took a walk in the garden and I asked her."

Teddy looked at him as though he was expecting more, "That's it?" he asked perplexed. Harry nodded.

"How did you plan it?"

"Well I was going to take her out somewhere fancy for dinner and ask her then but when I did take her out there ended up being five other people purposed before desert. So… I didn't think it would be… appropriate." Teddy nodded.

"Just do it when it feels right, no matter when or where it is."

"Wish me luck, Harry," he said. Harry shook his head, "You won't need it." Teddy shrugged, "Who'd you ask for advice?" Harry smiled, "Arthur, but I didn't ask he just gave it to me. I had stopped by to ask him for his daughter's hand," he added for Teddy's benefit.

Teddy's eyes grew wide. "You didn't ask Bill yet, have you?" Harry asked with an amused look on his face. Teddy shook his head. "Well, know it seems you will need the luck. So good luck to you."

"Thanks for the confidence boost," Teddy replied sarcastically. "Any time," Harry said cheekily.

Teddy nodded and walked out feeling a whole lot more confident about asking Victorie.