(A/N: I don t own this world. The characters belong to J.K Rowling. The plot is mine though.)
Teddy Lupin sat outside. He knew for anyone else it would be early, but he had been up all night. He glanced down at his watch. It was just after four thirty. He still had about two and a half hours .Though he was only twelve and home on Christmas break and should be extremely tired now that finals were finally over, all he could really focus on was the full moon. It should be heading into a lunar eclipse fairly soon, and Teddy was determined to still be awake for that. After all, it was on the nights of the full moon that he felt closest to his dad. He had heard the stories plenty of times, about how the marauders transformed into their animagus forms so that they could keep his dad company on nights of the full moon. He had heard about how his dad had endured painful transformations all through his early years. He knew that the full moon was what had scared his dad the most. But now, his dad had to be happy. He would no longer be forced to transform into a werewolf every month on the full moon. Teddy thought that his dad would probably be enjoying the full moon as much as possible now, wherever he was. He sighed. He usually felt pretty close with his mum. After all, he lived with her mum for most of the time. He heard stories about her every time he wanted, and there were pictures of her everywhere. His grand mum always talked about how he was so much like his mum, what with his metamorphmagus abilities and his wish to be an auror. The only thing he knew that he shared with his dad for sure was his house. They had both been Gryffindors, though the hat told him that Hufflepuff would have been a good fit, with his loyalty to all of his family and friends. It seemed like there was nothing that he truly shared with his father except for this time.
Normally he would go out onto the highest tower at Hogwarts during the full moon and sit up there. It was hard to dodge all the astronomy classes but once he did, it was worth it. He had peace and quiet in which he could wish that he had gotten to know his dad a little bit more. He would sit up there in warm weather and look at the moon, wondering what was up there that was so powerful to make a wizard transform into a werewolf. He could lay up there for hours just thinking about what his dad must have been like. He had first discovered the nook back in the tower after the first astronomy lesson. His teacher had mentioned the role of the full moon, which was prominent that night, in the transformation of the werewolf. Teddy had known what that meant. He had never seen his dad transform though, and some of the guys taking astronomy were a little vicious about it.
Hey Teddy, wasn t your dad a werewolf? one of the Hufflepuff girls asked. That had started a riot right there.
Your dad was a werewolf? muttered half the class as they sat there staring at him. It seemed that very few knew what to think of this, though none of them had ever had any experience with werewolves first hand and were basing their judgments off of stereotypes and prejudice. Teddy knew his hair was changing shades right now; he was frustrated.
You mean I m sharing a bedroom with a freak s son? Reginald Doge said loudly. He always had seemed to enjoy any attention on him. Werewolves should never have been allowed to show their faces in public. All they do is attack people. Why they re even allowed to have jobs is beyond me. If you ask me Reginald s ranting was cut short by a silencio to the throat. By now Teddy was furious.
No, Reginald, I didn t ask you, Teddy snarled, wand out. In fact, none of us asked to hear your bigotry. Are you that ignorant, to think that your way is the only right way? Or are you still suckled to Dolores Umbridge? You know she s the one who made all the laws about werewolves. The ones about how even though the transformation only lasts for a few hours, marks them as dangerous all the time. You know that there were laws that marked the Death Eaters as less dangerous than werewolves? All by that hag Umbridge. There was only one werewolf that attacked as many people as the average Death Eater, and he was a Death Eater himself! My dad was part of the Order twice. He gave his life to rid the world of Voldemort s followers. Even your granddad should have taught you more respect than that, as he was on the order too.
Teddy stopped to catch his breath before he smiled, one that didn t quite reach his eyes.
Although, I guess I can t expect you to know that, since he wasn t even there for the final battle.
Teddy had quickly released the silencing charm as he darted down a back passageway that he knew led down toward the castle by going up, trying not to cry. The passage had been carved out during the final battle and finished during following repairs. But instead of going down a staircase, he found one that went up instead. It shocked him, but knowing that his classmates might be behind him, he hurried up the staircase. Just in time, too. For as soon as he was out of sight up the staircase, his teacher came barreling down the staircase that hadn t been there moments before. Teddy sighed in relief and rolled his eyes at himself, trying to hold back the tears, only to have his eyes freeze at the sight of the full moon above him. He slowly leaned back against the roof that he had come out upon. It was the night of the full moon. And it reminded him of the father he had never gotten to know. Teddy sat up there for hours that night and cried for the time he didn t have and the memories he would never gain, until he was ready to go back down to his dorm room.
Every month after that, on the night of the full moon, Teddy snuck back up to his spot on the roof of the tower. The hidden staircase never seemed to admit anyone other than him up there. During the summers he couldn t sneak out with Grandmum watching him, but he never missed a month during the school year. For some reason, this winter was different. Grandmum had decided that they would be at Grimmauld Place for Christmas. It all started out well at first. Most of Harry s family was over there, and it had been a fairly happy occurrence, what with the little ones in the Potter and Weasley running around. He had gotten excited about Christmas and being off of school for a bit. However, during dinner that night, someone for some odd reason had decided to bring up stories Hogwarts that inevitably turned toward his dad teaching there. During some story about dementors, Teddy had quietly asked to be excused, before darting up the staircase as fast as he could. He d managed to find his way into an attic, which did lead up to the roof (which saved him the energy of either trying to climb out the window or trying to blast a hole in the roof, which undoubtedly would not have worked) and climbed out there, shutting the trap door behind him. He now sat up on the roof with an old baby blanket of Lily s which still had an active warming charm on it. He watched as the moon moved even lower in the sky. He checked his watch again, a beat up old thing with Mickey Mouse on it. He was lucky that it was still working, after going through a year and a half full of magic at Hogwarts. It was nearing six, and was still rather dark. The sun wasn t supposed to rise until just after eight. But still, the moon cut through the chilly gloom of the night and settled on him. Teddy couldn t help but be warmed slightly at the thought that the moon was his and his alone right now. He wondered what it would be like to run free under the moon. Although he wasn t crazy enough to let himself get bitten by some random werewolf, he would enjoy just getting to run at night like his dad did with the rest of the marauders. At this thought, Teddy scrunched up his nose. Just as long as he didn t turn into something like a beetle or a slug. That wouldn t be much fun.
Teddy sighed and snuggled under the blanket a bit more. It was pretty cold out here. He wished there were more people who actually knew his father. It wasn t like anyone in school could really help out, and it seemed like most of the people who his grandmum knew had been around at completely the wrong time, aside from an Order meeting every now and then. The only people he knew who had actually known his father were his godfather and his godfather s friends. His godfather s friends had never known his dad all that well. So it was only his godfather, Harry, who he could really turn to and could talk about his dad with. But every time that Teddy mentioned his dad, Harry got a distant, hurt look on his face and Teddy would stop talking about him. He had found out some things over the years, sure, but it was never enough. There was always this big sucking hole inside of him where his dad was concerned that was only filled with information. He wished he knew more.
As he sat up there, Teddy heard the trap door next to him creak open. He watched as his godfather emerged, carrying a few blankets, the cloak Teddy had tossed over the chair earlier, and a leather bound book. Harry sat down next to Teddy and handed him the cloak while staring up at the moon. Teddy put it on and they sat there in quiet for a few minutes, spreading out the blankets in between the two of them.
Supposed to be an eclipse tonight, Harry said softly, still staring up at the moon. Teddy nodded.
You thinking about him? Harry asked, glancing over at his godson. There was no question about who he was talking about.
Yeah, Teddy replied, looking at the book in Harry s lap quickly before staring back at the sky.
I m sorry, Harry began, shifting so that he wasn t facing out from Teddy. I should have told you more about him from the beginning. I thought your grandmum had it covered, but I know she doesn t much like talking about it either.
Harry opened the book on his lap and passed it over to Teddy. Teddy was surprised to find himself looking at his parents. There they were on their wedding day, there they were with a ginger bundle in their arms, there his dad was during his school years, surrounded by four other people.
I had a few photos of him with my parents, Harry said. He spotted the hunger in Teddy s eyes as he devoured page after page, picture after picture.
The rest I had to dig for in Sirius room or call out to friends who had been there for certain events, such as witnessing the wedding of your parents. I also got your grandmum to give me a few to duplicate of your mum too so you have the two of them together.
Teddy smiled as he traced his finger across the features of his father, who looked like him.
Thanks, Harry.
Turn to the back page, Harry instructed gently. Teddy was quick to oblige. And there, in front of him, was a wolf, curled up in a garden.
That was during the war, Harry told him as Teddy stared at the photo in disbelief. Your mum took that photo one night after your dad had taken his wolfsbane and gone outside to transform. Remus didn t want your mum to take a picture because he was always worried about whether his transformations phased her or not, but your mum thought he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She loved him, and they loved you. They would have loved to see the man that you re becoming.
Teddy couldn t help but to smile. He knew he would always miss his parents and wish that they were still around, but now he had something to keep them close always. And even if his parents weren t around, he still had a lot of family around him. He leaned into his godfather as they sat up on the roof, talking about his father. The moon slowly pulled down and the eclipse started. As the moon turned red, he felt as close as he ever had with his dad. And as he and his godfather sat up there watching the moon turn on the morning of the solstice, he knew he couldn t ask for anything more. As the sky lightened, both Teddy and Harry smiled.