Okay. So we've moved from the comfort of wizarding homes to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, instead.
This one ivolves quite a few more characters. Enjoy.
"When I started at Hogwarts, Teddy was a Prefect, so he looked out for me. When I wanted to try out for the Quidditch Team, Jeremy Wood was Captain, so he gave me a shot; his Dad Oliver had told him all about the famous Harry Potter and how he made the Team in his first year. Al, you remember how happy Mum and Dad were when I became Seeker that day, they sent me a Howler to congratulate me. I mean who does that? I'll tell you who: our parents. You're not gonna sit there and tell me you don't want to be on the Slytherin Team, are you?"
"Why do you care, James, why?"
"Because you're my brother! You're my brother, and they're my parents, and we're Potters, and Potters play Quidditch, it's what we do!"
"Well the Potters can actually play Quidditch and they also get sorted into Gryffindor!"
"Is that what this is about? Al, there's nothing wrong with being in Slytherin, you know I'm just teasing you when I—"
"James! I suck at Quidditch!"
James ran a hand through his messy black hair, so did Albus. The older of the two sat on the sofa's armrest and looked at his younger brother, "Al—"
"James, you and Lily are amazing flyers; I just didn't get the gene." He paused and then murmured, "at least not according to Morris Balmanoch." Albus sighed as James got up and made his way across the room. When he reached his brother, he put a hand on his shoulder.
"Albus Severus, you listen to me. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't play Quidditch, especially not Balmanoch. I used to play against him, and that boy lacks any technique whatsoever; he's terrible, Al, can barely stay on his broom. You are Albus Potter, son of Ginevra and Harry Potter, and most importantly, you're my brother." A smile appeared on Albus' face, "come on, let's go outside and I'll teach you a few tricks. You, my dear brother, will be the best damn Keeper Slytherin's ever seen, and maybe Uncle Ron can give you some pointers next time we go home."
After the boys had left the mutual Common Room all four houses shared – an idea of Professor McGonagall's – they went to the empty Quidditch pitch and practiced for a while. After several hours, they parted ways, Albus made his way to the dungeons as James walked up to the seventh floor.
"Equo ne credite." He spoke.
"You don't look too happy, dear." Said the Fat Lady before her portrait swung open, revealing the Gryffindor Common Room.
"Interesting password you guys have come up with. 'Don't trust the horse', I like it."
James looked, with a dumbfounded expression on his face, at the man that stood before him.
"Teddy? What are you doing here?" He came forward and hugged his father's godson, the boy he'd practically grown up with, who'd always been like an older brother to him.
"Well, I came to talk to Moreland about some boring old Auror business and I thought I'd stop by to see my favourite little man." The two pulled apart and Teddy brought something out of his coat pocket which he handed over to James. "Wanted to give you this, too."
James took the small box into his hands and opened it, "what in Merlin's name is that?" He picked up the minute round object and narrowed his eyes in an attempt to see it more clearly. Just as he did so, the oval started to move and a crack appeared on it.
"It's an egg!" Teddy exclaimed. "Your Uncle Charlie brought back a whole bunch of them from Romania."
"Uncle Charlie's back?"
"Since last night, asked me if I could give them out to all you kids. Speaking of, where is everyone?"
"Um, I just left Al in the joint Common Room, he should be back in the dungeons with Roxy now; I'm guessing Rose and Louis are either in the Ravenclaw Tower or the library; Hugo, Molly, Dom and Lily are... somewhere; and Fred's in the infirmary."
"Fred's what?"
"He's – OUCH!" James lowered his eyes to look at his index finger; a tiny Romanian Longhorn was in the palm of his hand and his finger was squirting blood – it had bitten him.
"Sorry 'bout that, it's still a hatchling, maybe you could ask Hagrid to help you train it." James looked at Teddy as though he had grown a second head.
"Come on, kid, give it a name. Something like Teery, or Jim. Yeah, let's call him Jim. You can be James and Jim. Got a nice ring to it."
"You're insane." James rolled his eyes.
"And you love it."
James winked, "Jim it is."
Barely a few moments had passed when Gryffindors began to pour into the Common Room, some from the dorms, others through the portrait hole. Among them were the some of the remaining Potters and Weasleys.
"Teddy!" Shouted Lily as she charged towards him, tackling him to the floor.
"How's my little flower?" He asked, hugging her back.
"I thought Vicky was your flower?"
"Well then... you're my tree." She giggled and got up, helping Teddy as she went. Teddy proceeded to hug Hugo, Dominique and Molly before presenting them with their own miniature dragons.
Several hours had passed and the five of them were gathered by the fire with several other Gryffindors. James and Fred's friends, Calvin and Andrew, who absolutely loved Teddy's visits, listened intently to his stories, and the girls, obviously smitten, continuously giggled throughout.
"And that, my fellow Gryffindors, is why you don't want your hair turning red around bulls in Spain." The whole room burst out in laughter; they especially enjoyed Teddy's stories about his metamorphmagus mishaps.
Eventually, most other students had gone up to their dorms and Teddy was left with the Potter-Weasley Gryffindors. They continued to chat for a while. Until they were interrupted.
"Blue-hair! Long time no see!" Came a voice from the entrance. Fred was out of the infirmary, his arm in a sling and his hair and clothes covered in paint.
Teddy rose from his seat and went to hug the sixth-year.
"Well, glad to see you haven't let Hogwarts slow you down, mate."
"What can I say? Gotta live up to the name!"
James joined his cousin and friend, "Freddy, no matter how hard you try, you won't get anywhere without this." He pulled a familiar roll of parchment slightly out of his pocket. Harry had entrusted the Marauder's Map to his eldest son at the end of his first year, and on many an occasion, the cousins had used it to get out of troublesome situations.
"Well here's your dragon, Freddy; Romanian Longhorn, just like everyone else, courtesy of Charlie. And I can expect you all at Victoire's party, right?"
Dominique answered for everyone, "she may be your girlfriend, Teddy, but she's been my sister my whole life, and her twentieth birthday – her first year as an official adult, just out of her teen years – is not something I intend on missing."
Teddy rolled his eyes and smiled before turning to the portrait hole and leaving.
So? Any good? Tell me what you think.
*Kizz