Teddy shook his long turquoise hair out of his eyes, as he ascended the narrow steps to the attic. He wiped the sweat of his forehead and pushed open the door. Boxes of all sizes were stacked along the walls and in the centre of the room was a little old rug that looked as though it had been torn and mended over and over again. Teddy collapsed on this rug and surveyed the little, cobwebby room with affection.
It used to be one of his favourite haunts when he was little. No day was complete for him without spending at least a couple of hours in the attic. He could never explain it, but he felt closer to his parents when he was in the attic. He felt as though they were really watching over him as Harry always said they did. So he would spend hours there, sitting on the worn out rug, playing with his stuffed toys or as he grew older, reading or just sitting quietly.
As he grew older, his curiosity increased. He could never stop asking questions about his parents, his granddad, the war, and several other things that made Grandma sad and Harry serious. He would then spend hours opening the boxes in the attic and pulling out various belongings and forgotten photographs of his parents and grandfather.
At other times, the attic was his sanctuary. When he would feel lonely or scared. He had never felt quite so safe in any other part of the house. He would tiptoe up the creaking steps at the dead of the night, and curl up on the rug, hugging one of Dad's old overcoats or one of Mum's Hufflepuff scarves to him. After a few initial scares, Grandma became used to Teddy's frequent disappearances up into the attic, and knowing what it meant to him, never forbade him from spending time there. Sometimes, when she felt up to it, she would join her grandson on the little rug and tell him stories of his mother when she was little, and then they would sit and look at old albums till well past dawn. Sometimes when Harry stayed over, he would come too, and tell Teddy stories of the Marauders.
He smiled now, thinking of his younger self. Then he remembered that he had something important to tell his parents.
"Mum, Dad," he began. "I'm taking Victoire out for the first time today. I'm taking her to the Weird Sisters concert, Mum, and I was thinking of wearing one of your Weird Sisters t' shirts, if you don't mind." He paused and sat up straighter and crossed his legs. "I was thinking of taking her some chocolate as a present, Dad. Do you think that's a good idea? Yeah, I thought so too. I think I'll take her a nice, big slab of Honeydukes Nut Bang, she likes that best." He reached into the nearest box and pulled out a folded photograph. He opened it reverently and smiled at the two people who were smiling and waving back at him. He smiled again and slipped the picture into the front pocket of his jeans.
He stood up. "I must be going now," he said. "Goodbye Dad. Goodbye Mum."
Teddy hummed to himself as he fiddled with his tie. His hair was curly and purple that day and his face and arms were tanned and rugged. He wore a large black traveling robe over the largest of his mother's Weird Sisters t' shirts and a purple tie to match. He turned to glance at himself in the mirror and got the shock of his life. The bright purple tie was replaced by a large bow of lurid green! Not any ordinary green, mind you. But a horrid Spattergroit green!
Teddy shuddered and reached for his wand. But try as he might, he couldn't get the bow to turn purple again.
"Aargh!" he exclaimed, pulling it off and tossing it on the bed. He bent and rummaged in his old Hogwarts trunk for another tie. Disappointed, he stood up and glanced at the green tie on the bed. To his bewilderment, it had turned purple again! Frowning, he stalked over to the bed and picked it up, only to have it zoom out of his hand and hover high above his head. Teddy stared stupidly up at it. What in Merlin's name was happening?
Then he heard a giggle and whispered scoldings, and he knew exactly who was behind everything. Pretending to reach for the door, Teddy whipped around and pointed his wand at the window.
"Accio Invisibility Cloak!", he said in clear tones and the Cloak came flying towards him, revealing three thirteen year old boys huddled together, the one in the middle clutching a wand. It was quite a colourful sight. Three heads: one red, one black, and one blond. Three faces: all wearing the same sheepish expression.
"I should have known." said Teddy, as sternly as possible, though he was dying to laugh inside, at the three red faces before him. "Well? What have you got to say for yourselves?", he asked in his best imitation of Professor McGonagall's tone.
Silence.
"It's all James's fault," said Fred, finally.
"For plotting to prank me?"
"No, for giggling and ruining it," said Louis, directing a glare at James.
A laugh almost escaped from Teddy and he fought to conquer it.
"Don't you three know that underage magic is illegal and that you can be expelled for it?", he asked, indicating the wand that Fred held.
"Yes, but Uncle Percy said that the Ministry just knows that someone is using magic in a wizarding household, but not who; so they can't expel us, you see," explained Louis.
"What possessed Percy to tell you?" asked Teddy, taken aback.
"Well, Fred asked him, as innocent as you please," began James. Teddy snorted.
"And these two took notes and everything," added Fred. "He swallowed it right up."
"Sure you did," said Teddy disbelievingly. "Now hand over that wa-"
"Teddy!" exclaimed James, flinging himself on Teddy. "You think we forced him or something?" He opened his eyes wide.
"Oh yes." nodded Teddy. "That's exactly what I think."
"Well, you're wrong." said Fred matter-of-factly. "We couldn't have. We were at the Burrow and Grandmum would have blown us up if we did so much as play a prank on him."
"So instead you play a prank on me?" asked Teddy, disentangling himself from James. "I, who taught you three ungrateful trolls the art?".
"Well, we had to." said Louis.
"Its protocol," added James, smiling angelically.
"What do you mean?" asked Teddy, puzzled.
"Today, you will be taking our cousin Victoire to a concert," said Fred, crossing his arms.
"Our cousin Victoire," repeated James.
"Our cousin Vic- I mean my sister Victoire," added Louis hastily.
"So?" asked Teddy confusedly.
"So, wegettoplayaprankonyou," finished Fred in a hurry, and the three then beat a hasty retreat out of the room and down the stairs.
"Who says so?" Teddy yelled after them.
"Uncle George!" James yelled back. "He played a trick on Dad when he and Mum went out together the first time."
"Merlin's underpants!" exclaimed Teddy and laughed. He picked up the forgotten tie and fastened it. "Not bad at all, I would say. But the Marauders may think otherwise."
When he went downstairs he found the three at the table, playing Exploding Snap. They glanced up as he came and he pretended to ignore them. He strode around the table and into the kitchen, where his grandmother was cooking.
"Dearest and best," he said, kissing her cheek before perching himself on the kitchen counter. "Something smells delicious." Grandma smiled affectionately at him and handed him a plate of sandwiches.
"Take this to the table." she said.
"I will, but tell me. Did you invite those imps of wickedness or did they invite themselves?"
"I did." Grandma said, pausing in her cooking to smile fondly in their direction. "They remind me of Sirius when he was this age."
Teddy smiled. "They bewitched my tie to change colour and fly away from me."
"Underage magic?" Grandma asked, as Teddy jumped down. He nodded.
"Just like Sirius," she smiled at her tall grandson. "And your mother, and you."
James, Louis and Fred were arguing when Teddy set the plate in front of them.
"You can't expect her to like you back if you charm her goblet to burp her name", Fred was saying, rather sensibly, Teddy thought.
"But I don't like her, for Merlin's sake!" James was clutching at his hair.
"Oh shut up. Even she knows it. That's probably why she can't stand you." Louis said.
"Who?" asked Teddy, seating himself at the head of the table. "Is she red- haired?"
"Yes," said James, surprised. "So?"
"Potters' curse." Teddy said, briefly, leaning over for a sandwich.
"What?"
"Ask your father." Teddy stood up. "Goodbye, you lot. Don't blow up the house." He ruffled each head and ran to the kitchen to kiss Grandma good bye.
"Aren't you Flooing to Bill's house, dear?" Grandma called as he ran out.
"No," he called back. "I have to stop at Honeydukes."
Teddy arrived at Shell Cottage with a thick bar of chocolate tucked under his arm. He walked past the beach and to the front door. He took a deep breath and knocked. The wait seemed extra long.
He stood on tiptoe and tried to peep into the house through a glass panel that Bill had placed on top of his door. He could barely make out a blond-haired head drifting towards the door. Victoire! He tugged at his tie and tried to look dignified and serious, though he knew it was stupid to try to make a good impression, as Bill and Fleur knew him from the time he was in diapers. Merlin, he was sure that Bill himself had put some of those diapers on him. But instead of reassuring him, this thought made him more nervous. He tried to calm himself down by thinking of Victoire. After what seemed like the longest time, the door slowly swung open. Teddy could hardly wait for the door to open fully before flinging himself on her. "Hello, beautiful!"
"Now, now, Teddy," said an amused voice. "That's my wife you're hugging."
Teddy jumped back in horror to see a smiling Bill, leaning back on the couch with his arm around Dominique who was laughing so hard, she could hardly breathe. Teddy suddenly thanked Merlin Louis wasn't around.
"Um, sorry, Fleur," he muttered, going red.
"Bill!" Fleur scolded and turned to Teddy with a smile. "'Ave I grown so old that you cannot call me beautiful anymore?"
"No, of course not." said Teddy hastily and allowed Fleur to hug him and kiss him on both cheeks. When he looked up, ignoring Dominique's snorts, he saw that Victoire was descending the stairs, dressed simply but breathtakingly. She smiled at him and took his arm. Just as he was leaning down to give her a quick kiss, Bill cleared his throat. Teddy's head shot up, while Victoire merely rolled her eyes.
"Might I ask you where you're taking her tonight, Teddy?" he asked, getting up and coming to stand beside his wife.
"Dad! You know perfectly well where he's taking me. You got us the tickets!"
"Shush Victoire!" Bill's eyes were twinkling so Teddy knew he wasn't serious. "It's protocol."
"Dad!"
Now it was Teddy's turn to roll his eyes. Fleur glared at her husband.
"Bill, can't you see 'e's nervous? Never mind 'im, Teddy. 'E's just bored now zat Charlie's left." She turned to Victoire. "You're not going out like zis!" she gestured at Victoire's bare shoulders. "Go and put on a cloak!"
"Maman!"
"Victoire, ma petite, don't argue with me!"
"Fine, but I don't know what to wear with this."
"'Ow about my black one?"
As mother and daughter scurried upstairs, Bill smiled and clapped Teddy on the shoulder.
"I guess I won't have to tell you to take care of my little girl,"
"No sir," Teddy answered automatically.
"Sir?" Bill raised his eyebrows. "Since when-"
"Sorry, Bill." Teddy corrected himself, and suddenly feeling all his nerves evaporate, smiled at Bill. "And you," he said, pointing at Dominique, who had started giggling again. "You better keep that to yourself,"
"Otherwise what, Teddy?" Dominique asked, teasingly.
Bill chuckled and shaking his head, left the room.
"Otherwise, I'll tell Bill something serious," Teddy lowered his voice conspiratorially. "I'll tell Bill who you've been writing to all summer."
"Louis told you!" Dominique launched herself on him.
"Of course he did, little girl." Teddy calmly put his arm around her. "When has he ever kept anyone's secrets? Especially such," he solemnly tweaked a red curl. "Such juicy secrets? And you can be sure that both Fred and James know too."
"He swore he wouldn't tell," Dominique muttered. "And don't call me little girl!"
Teddy laughed just as Victoire re-entered, wearing a tight black cape.
"Troubling my little sister?" she asked softly, gliding over to him. Teddy slipped an arm around her waist, drawing her to him. "Not at all. Simply charming her, you see." He said, winking at Dominique. "Just in case you decide to leave me."
Dominique rolled her eyes as Victoire stood on tiptoe to kiss him, and Teddy, his arms around both girls, responded with so much passion that his hair grew suddenly longer and redder.
"You two are disgusting!" Dominique twisted away from Teddy and ran to the stairs.
"Well, not as disgusting as you. We don't snog our fellow Chaser in the full view of everyone during Quidditch practice, you know!"
Dominique stopped short. "Firstly, it wasn't practice, it was tryouts. And second, who told you that?"
Teddy smiled at her charmingly, and drew Victoire's arm through his. "Well, maybe James, or Fred, or Louis, or the lucky young man himself!"
"Aargh! Teddy!" Dominique tugged at her curls. Teddy laughed and went out with Victoire, who turned to Dominique and said, reassuringly:
"Don't worry, Dom. I'll make sure Teddy keeps his mouth shut about it. Especially in front of Dad." Dominique nodded and waved to them as they walked down the little path.
"You'd better keep it a secret," she said as they shut the little gate behind them.
"I will, don't worry." he told her. "But what's with keeping it from Bill?"
"Dad thinks she's too young to be thinking twice about any boy, and she, well, you know Dom. She attracts a lot of attention in school and she knows it." Victoire looked worried.
"Well," said Teddy as they prepared to Apparate, "We'll worry about her later. This is our evening, and I want you to have a good time!"
If you had stood by the wall that separated the otherwise deserted Platform 7 from Platform 8 on King's Cross Station that same evening, you would have seen a young, blond woman of beauty so breathtaking that you would think it unnatural, burst from that same wall and run down the length of the wide corridor, wiping tears away as she ran. I hope you did not follow her, hoping she will take solace in your arms or for any other reason; for a purple haired, slightly disheveled, young man would have hexed you if you had touched even a hair on her head, even in the most well-meaning manner.
"Vic! Hey, Vic." Teddy burst from the barrier and ran as fast as he could to catch up with her. "Vic, are you alright?"
At once, she turned on him, eyes flashing. "Alright? What do you mean alright, Teddy Lupin? Those crazy weirdoes insult me and all you can do is stand there fuming? Couldn't you have stood up for me?"
"But, Victoire!" Teddy stuffed his hands in his pockets and frowned. "I did stand up for you."
"So you did. You just told them to back off, that's all you did. How gallant of you," she returned sarcastically, using the back of her hand to wipe away her tears.
"Victoire, be fair. All I could have done was yell at them. I couldn't beat them up; there were twenty of them, for Merlin's sake."
"Are you a wizard or what?" shrieked Victoire, shaking her hair out of her face and looking up at him. "You could have hexed them."
Teddy stared at her. "Are you out of your mind?" he asked her. "And be tried for breaking the Statute of Secrecy?"
Instantly, Victoire calmed down and smiled a watery smile at him. "You're right, Ted. I'm sorry. I guess I was a little hasty."
"No, Victoire. You're right. I should have done more." Teddy slid down onto one of the nearby benches, and put his head in his hands. "I'm not worthy of you at all."
Victoire sat down next to him and took his face in her hands. "You're a fool, Teddy Lupin. Listen to me. You are perfect, and I love you." Then she pressed her lips to his. A few hundred moments later, she pulled apart, eyes sparkling. Teddy felt oddly breathless.
"And now," she said, eyes gleaming with anticipation. Teddy felt ready for anything she was going to propose, if it was another kiss or even to go right back and beat up those boys. They were a team. They'd do everything together, as they always did.
"Let's eat some of that chocolate you brought me."