Big Bear

Ted Lupin looked on as the small girl with the protuberant green eyes and long, brown and messy hair put the Sorting Hat on her head. She looked scared half to death just from sitting there, even without every set of eyes in the room on her.

Lillian Venus Potter was being Sorted, the first born daughter of Harry Potter, Savoir of the Wizarding world and the most famous wizard of modern times. So understandably she was under a wee little pressure. He remembered the first time he saw her….

He was sitting on Grandma Dromeda, anxiously; Godfather had been disappeared pass the same doors that Guardian Luna had passed many many hours ago for some time now.

"Everything going to be ok Teddy" Grandma spoke softly. "Luna's got it far easier than I ever did with Nymphadora… Now that's a story I could tell you!"

Ted looked up to his Grandma and was about to ask about the story when the door opened up again!

Godfather was standing there, a wide happy smile on his face, and so was Guardian Luna with a far more subtle, but just as happy, smile on her face. She was also carrying a small white bundle….

"Why don't you come over and say hello to Lillian, Ted?" Guardian Luna asked him softly, she sounded a bit more subdued than normal and was clearly tired ,yet her tone was clearly joyful. . Ted jumped down onto the floor and nervously walked over as Guardian Luna bent down somewhat.

The little white bundle had a face. A small face with closed eyes, Still Ted felt introductions were in order, even if Lillian did look asleep.

"Hello there Lillian, your name means flower, so I guess you're a little flower!" Ted said with smile that his Guardian returned. "My name is Ted or Teddy if you want. So I guess I'm a teddy bear!"

"Actually I'm a pretty sure it's short for Edward, which means blessed guard." Guardian Luna explained. Ted smirked.

"Well you've heard your mum, seems I'm your blessed guard!"

Her little head moved to the side slightly, Ted was pretty sure she had heard it.

"Gryffindor!" the hat shouted after what seemed to an eternity. Lilly quickly jumped up and was half way to the Gryffindor table she realised she was still wearing the Sorting Hat. She quickly ran back and put the hat back on the stool, said sorry and ran to the Gryffindor table to sit firmly between Ted and Victoire.

"He couldn't make his mind up were to put me!" She blurted out as she sat down quickly." He said I could have joined any of the houses, Even Slytherin!"

She sounded panicky and uneasy.

"He went on for ages about how well I could have done in it!" Lilly said as she looked from side to side before whispering "You don't think they might move me latter do you?"

He looked at her with a faint smile. He knew how to deal with this.

Ted looked down at the piece of paper in front of him. It had his name on it, written in crayon, with Harry's and Luna's above it.

"Guardian Luna, why is my second name Lupin, when you and Godfather Harry's have Potter?" Ted asked with an innocent and open honesty. Luna looked down at him for a few moments before replying.

"Because your fathers name was Remus Lupin and it his family name that you should carry." She explained before adding. "And carry it with pride too, he was a good man."

Ted looked at her somewhat perplexedly.

"I thought I was yours and Godfathers?" Ted asked fearfully. "Why am I not with Remus if he's my father?"

"Sit with me Ted." Luna said as she softly sat before Ted, Ted followed suit and sat in front of her, her eyes locking with his.

"Sometimes we can't be close to those we care about." She spoke softly. "Sometimes we have to leave them for a while, sometimes even a long while."

"So when is he coming back?" Ted asked eagerly. "I want to meet him."

"He can't come back to you." She said with a hint of sadness. "But one day you will meet him, but not for a very long time."

Ted bit his lip.

"It's ok to miss him." Luna said gently. "But both Remus and your mother Nymphadora left this world in the Great War to keep you and many other safe from harm and fear. He also left your care to a man who he respected and trusted."

"Godfather Harry?" Ted asked. She nodded softly in reply.

"Indeed." She said before continuing. "When someone is born, there parents normally ask someone or someone's to be there child Godfather or Godmother. To protect and care for there child if they cannot for some reason."

"And Guardian Luna?" Ted inquired.

"Love is a thing that defines itself in how we connect with others." She explained calmly. "I love Harry and Harry loves you. So I will protect what he will protect, and I will care for, what he cares for."

"Me" Ted blurted out.

"Exactly" She said with a nod. "And that make me your Guardian."

Ted felt his fears subside.

Ted bent down and brought his face level with Lilly's.

"Little Flower." He said gently. "You are a member of House Gryffindor now and shall remain so."

She looked at him with a worried face; he locked his eyes with hers.

"The Sorting Hat sorts once and once only." He explained calmly. "Maybe you have traits that are admired in the other houses, but who doesn't?"

Lilly looked at him with her mouth slightly open.

"I could have been a Hufflepuff you know." He explained. "Because I'm rather loyal. But I'm also pretty dam brave, so in I got sorted into Gryffindor."

"And once sorted…" Lilly left the words hanging.

"You are sorted." Ted said firmly, but softly. Lilly's face turned to from worry to joy.

Lilly was quickly in high spirits and rapidly whispering, mostly to Victoire and Ted, as the Sorting continued. Ted let himself relax a bit, and before long the Sorting had finished and the students were enjoy the feast. It was only after the feast, as the House made its ways to the tower that Ted had to listen to Lilly properly again.

"Big Bear…" Lilly said a little bit distantly in a tone not too dissimilar from her mothers. But the use of that tone for Lilly was very different. For her mother, it meant everything was ok, for Lilly it meant the opposite, that she was rather worried.

"Yes Little Flower? Ted asked causally as he could.

"What if I'm rubbish?" She blurted out abruptly and rapidly, clearly wanting to get the words out as fast as she can.

"Your not rubbish Lilly." Ted explained. "Just untested."

"But dad so amazing and did so many incredible things…"Lilly mumbled.

Ted had been here before; he knew what to.

Ted looked up toward his godfathers face nervously as he stood at platform 9 and ¾. The train would be here soon and he had a question that was not easy to ask.

"Godfather… Ted asked nervously. Harry looked down at him curiously.

"Yes Teddy?" He responded.

"Everyone says my dad was the best DADA teacher they ever had." Ted said quietly while trying to hide his uneasiness. "And that my mum was a dark wizard catcher."

"Tonk was an Auror yes" Harry explained calmly. "But that's not what this is about is it Teddy?"

Ted bit his lip. Godfather was reading him like a book.

"What if I'm rubbish?" Ted explained panicky. "I have crap reflexes and can't catch a ball half the time, how can I hope to become an Auror if I'm missing one of the basic skills they need? I'm just going to disappoint everyone!"

Ted was getting worked up now, he was just going to be a big failure and disappoint everyone.

"Stop." Harry said simply. Ted looked up to him. Once his Godfather was sure Ted was paying attention, he continued. "You compare your abilities now to your parent's abilities when they were adults. You rate yourself on what your parents excelled at and ignore your own strengths."

"My strengths…" Ted asked his Godfather.

"Yes your strengths Teddy." Harry said firmly. "You're patient and reflective, yet still good at breaking the ice with people and getting them to open up. Haven't you ever noticed how little Lilly and Mercury tend to run to you with there problems?"

Ted looked up at his Godfather Harry with a slight smile.

"My mother, Lilly's namesake, was amazing at potions. "Harry explained "Yet I'm terrible at the subject. Don't put yourself down because your skills are different from your parents, instead find what -you- are good at and walk your own path."

Ted nodded at his Godfather and said one word.

"Thanks."

"Lilly." Ted said firmly. "You're not rubbish."

"But…" She protested.

"Your not father, and you don't have his strength and weakness." Ted explained softly. "Harry may be a crazy duelling master of light magic with a will of iron, but he's a fully grown and trained Auror, while you're the grand old age of eleven and just starting Hogwarts."

Lilly looked up at him.

"And who's got the awesome memory, you or you dad?" Ted with a playful grin.

"Me!" Lilly shouted loudly with a happy look on her face.

"Exactly!" Ted replied. "Now let get you to the Gryffindor Tower, so I can show you around Little Flower."

"Ok Big Bear!" She replied cheerfully.

Ted smiled as he heard Lilly use the nickname. He might not be her big brother, but he always be her Big Bear, and that was close enough for Ted Lupin.