DISCLAIMER: The world of Harry Potter and all the characters that live in it belong to J.K. Rowling
WARNING: This story has DH spoilers.
Summary: Two children struggle to find friendship, love, and to prove that even orphans can find happiness
Prologue: A First Meeting
And all the roads we have to walk are winding
And all the lights that lead us there are blinding
There are many things that I would
Like to say to you
I don't know how
Because maybe
You're gonna be the one who saves me?
And after all
You're my wonderwall.
-Wonderwall by Oasis
Teddy John Lupin couldn't help but wonder if this day would mean more to him if his parents were alive.
It wasn't that Harry and Ginny weren't wonderful surrogate parents- in fact, it was anything but. They were there when he needed them most, they treated him as their own, and they were supportive. It wasn't their fault in the slightest.
But he couldn't help thinking that, maybe, if Remus and Nymphadora Lupin were there, giving him proud looks and badgering him about being good, getting good grades, and not to do anything stupid, that he would actually be proud of himself. That he wouldn't feel so dead inside.
Maybe if the little girl in Ginny's arms was his sister, or the two boys tottering around King's Cross were his brothers, all of this would seem… real.
"Don't forget your books, Teddy." Ginny placed his books on top of his suitcase. The edge of a photo poked out of Hogwarts: A History, Newly Updated. It showed a small hand holding a large, weathered one. He was familiar with the picture. He clenched his hand, trying to find that memory for the zillionth time.
"Well, Ted. Off you go." Harry gave Teddy a one-sided hug. Teddy responded with a weak smile.
He hated himself for thinking that the well-worn, handsome man he'd seen in photographs should be the one seeing him off.
Avira Rowan looked out at the train station as the taxi pulled up at Kings Cross Station. She didn't really know what to expect, but this wasn't it. It was crowded with people bustling around trying to catch their trains or get home. She thanked the taxi driver and handed him the money for the fair that she was borrowing from the orphanage. She stepped out of the taxi and watched it drive away before slipping further into the crowd. She was used to being unnoticed by large crowds, and soon she was standing in front of piece of wall between Platforms 9 and 10 in confusion. This was nothing like she had ever experienced, and she hoped dearly that she didn't mess up and have to be sent back to the orphanage.
"Keep moving!" A business man barked at her as he pushed her angrily out of her way.
She sighed softly as she picked herself up off the ground where she was pushed. She turned to glare at the business man, just to realize that she couldn't see him anymore, nor could she see anything else that had just been around her. She looked to where she had just come, and realized in shock that she had fallen through the wall. She looked the other way and gasped in amazement.
In front of her was the most amazing thing she had ever seen: a bright red train that was pulled up at the platform. She picked up her luggage and stepped forward. Suddenly, she was looking at an entirely different sort of people. Families wearing the strange clothing she had seen only when she had ventured into Diagon Alley for that brief time.
Everywhere there were parents hugging their children and wishing them the best of luck, and to behave. Avi bit her lip as she felt a pang in her heart. All these people had families who cared for them, and that was all Avi had ever wanted.
She slumped her shoulders and looked down at the ground, before starting to push her way through the crowd just like she had in the outer station, and made her way for the train that had only moments ago fascinated her.
Teddy pushed through the crowd, ignoring all the shouts to him, knowing that it was just more people that he didn't know. He walked up behind a girl who looked as if she was alone, in her own little island of the crowd. "Hey, uh, are you new to... you know, the wizarding scene?"
Avi turned quickly around to face the voice behind her, before breathing a sigh of relief when she saw she was looking at a boy her age. "Is it that obvious?" She felt a bit out of place and embarrassed.
He paused. "Yeah, a little, but that's okay. I assume you're Muggleborn, and it's all kind of overwhelming for someone who isn't familiar with-" He waved his hands. "This."
"It's a bit intimidating." She admitted. Looking down at the ground, she added, "For all I know, I could be a pureblood"
He paused, a bit confused, tripping over his suitcase. "Oh, really? You..." he paused meaningfully. "You not know your parents, then?"
Avi shook her head slowly. "I was orphaned in the war."
He stumbled forward, smiling happily, despite the topic. "As was I. Who were your parents?" He stepped up onto the train, looking behind him to watch the girl.
"I don't know," She murmured.
"Oh. Right." He cleared his throat. "Mine were Remus Lupin and Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin. They died by the hands of death eaters." He looked down, a little sadly.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, she felt like someone had grabbed her heart and tried to squeeze everything out of it. He was just like her.
"It's okay. I didn't know them. I have surrogate parents, and I'm sure they're just as good." Lie. "You want to sit together? You're probably the only person I've actually talked to except for my cousins." Lie. They weren't his cousins, they were his adoptive cousins. "I'd appreciate it." Truth.
Avi couldn't help a smile from spreading on her face. "Okay" She agreed, happy to have found someone who would talk to her. In the back of her mind, she thought that he was so lucky that he had someone who would be his parents, surrogate or not, but she didn't mention it.
"Alright," He grinned. "We'll find a compartment then... ah. This one looks good."
"AY, TED!"
Teddy inwardly groaned at the use of that infernal nickname, but turned around and waved at whoever was speaking. "Okay, duck in quick. I don't want to try to socialize." He said all this with the smile plastered to his face.
Avi gave him an odd look, but ducked into the compartment quickly, nonetheless. Once in the compartment, she walked over to the window, and looked out of it.
Teddy followed her, and then closed the door behind them. "Sorry for that. It's just that with all my 'parents' being legends... everyone seems to want to know me." He shrugged. "It sounds horrible, I know, but I've just grown to hate being introduced to people who I'm supposed to know."
"At least you know anyone at all." Avi turned around to look at Teddy. "That's something."
He laughed weakly. "I'd imagine. I'm sorry, I don't mean to... how do I word this... make myself seem less well-off. I'm lucky, and I know a lot of people would love to be in my position. I'm just ungrateful, that's all." He shrugged. "I'm sorry... I haven't asked your name."
"Avira Rowan... well Avi is what people call me. I don't know if Rowan is my real last name or not." She let out a slight laugh. "Then again, I don't know if Avira's my real first name either."
She looked out of the window where families were still gathered outside of the train, and cringed slightly, looking away again.
"Teddy Lupin." He settled down into one of the seats. "Well... uh... who do you stay with?" His hair changed for the first time on the platform, shifting into a warm red-brown from the original sandy blonde color.
Avi watched in surprise as his hair changed, but didn't comment. "I live in an orphanage in London," She replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Muggle London, that is."
"Well, then, how are you so familiar with wizarding slang? Muggle, pureblood... you got through the pillar well enough, and you must have been to Diagon Alley. Staff member?"
"A professor got my letter to me, but I found out most of it for myself. One thing that I learned while living in the orphanage, is how to listen and pick up on everything people say." She cracked a smile "I was pushed through the pillar by accident"
"Huh. That's really odd. They normally send a staff member for those new to the Wizarding community." He looked at her, confused. "How'd you get into Diagon Alley? You can only get in through the Leaky Cauldron."
"Well, the professor told me to go to the Leaky Cauldron. He had to rush off. He didn't say why. I managed okay, though"
"How'd you get through the bricks?!" Teddy was literally on the edge of his seat.
Avi smiled. "I stood there forever trying to figure out how to get to Diagon Alley. I was eventually lucky enough that someone actually had to get through to Diagon Alley. I just followed them in."
"God, you're clever." Teddy sat back in his seat, smiling admirably at Avi. "You seem to adapt to anything, though I guess you have to."
Avi had a good justification for that, "We went through like five different orphanage owners. You had to adapt or you'd be in trouble"
"I guess so!"
"It's no big deal really. Just go with the flow and chances are you'll turn out alright."
"That's very deep, Avi." He was comfortable, now. His true self started to poke out. "So, with your knowledge of our world, are you planning on getting into any house in particular?"
She sighed, "I don't care where I end up." This answer meant more to her than just what house she'd end up in.
Teddy noticed.
"That seems more general than house placement to me." He said, a little concerned.
"I never had a choice to where I end up. I dont' see why it'll matter now." This didn't seem to bother her very much.
"That's all very well, if you think that way." Teddy shrugged, trying to hide his instincts to be all big-brotherly. You get that way when you have three younger surrogate siblings. "But I think that anyone can be what they want to if they try."
"Life is never a piece of cake for orphans... well, the ones in the orphanage, I mean. Maybe Hogwarts changes that." She sounded doubtful.
"I hope so. What's it worth if it doesn't?"
Avi shrugged. Teddy tightened his lips to the outburst of dreams he had been fed all his life and glanced towards the window. "I guess we're moving."
Avi followed his gaze to the window outside. Smiling, she watches the scenery pass by. She really loved everything about the train. She had never been on one before. She looked back at Teddy, noticing he wasn't nearly as amazed as she was.
He looked at her expectant gaze. "Er, pretty, innit?" He smiled, looking back out.
She flushed slightly, and pulled herself back to her seat. "It really is."
"So, uh, hey, you want to meet my cousins? Get acquainted with a few people?" Teddy smiled. He loved to be the one doing the introducing.
Teddy grinned and motioned for her to follow him down the hall. He opened the door and started strolling down the corridor when a voice came to his ears:
"Oh, yeah, we know loads of spells. We can beat the pants off of some Gryffindor wuss."
He stopped abruptly and turned. "Oh, really?"
Avi spun around as soon as she heard the voice. She looked over her shoulder at Teddy. She wasn't sure how Teddy was going to act to this, but she was never one to cower away from anything.
The dark-haired one stood up. "Yeah, really. And you are?"
"I'm Teddy Lupin. You?"
"Oh, you. I know you. I'm Gerard Avery. And my father-"
"It doesn't matter, the war's over. Your father's in Azkaban, mine's dead, we're even. I just have a problem with someone who bluffs."
"How dare you accuse me of bluffing" Avery huffed. "If you don't believe me, how bout you prove yourself in a little, ah...duel"
Avi's gaze hardened and set on Avery and his mate. She didn't know a single spell, but she was willing to act like she did as long as Teddy did.
"Why not? We'll take you." He glanced at Avi and nodded. "Where to, Avery and- is that Nott?"
"'Course it is." The blonde one stepped up.
"Alright then. Your choice of location. Give yourself a bit of a handicap."
"Right here. No escaping like a coward into compartments. Just this hallway right here." Nott drawled "Unless you're scared, that is"
"Scared? Ha." Teddy whipped his wand out of his cloak as if he'd been practicing for ages (which, embarrassingly, he had). "I'll be the first, Avi is my second. Who's yours?"
Avery looked smug. "I'm the first, Nott is my second." Nott looked as if he was about to protest, but Avery shot him a look.
"So, we bow..." Teddy swept a low bow, and Avery followed suit, albeit reluctantly.
"And we begin."
Avi jumped into the role right away, she pulled out her wand and kept her hand steadily aimed the boys. If worst came to worse, she could always fight without the wand.
"DISARM!" Avery yelled, pointing his wand at Teddy. Nothing happened.
"Oh, Gerard. It's not that easy." Teddy smirked. "That's not a spell. This is. EXPELLIARMUS!"
Avery's wand clattered to the floor.
Avi smirked at Avery's loss. Avery looked over at Nott, as if trying to see if he had anything better than he did.
Nott looked flustered, then shrugged. "Sorry, Ger."
"Surrender." Gerard muttered.
"I'd take your life if I were in a real duel, and if I knew how, and if I wasn't a softie, but since none of those things apply- go on. Scat." Teddy waved his hands, his hair turning a warm brown.
"We aren't done, Lupin!" Nott snarled.
"I'm sure we're not. Go on; play with your little friends. We won't stop you."
Avi relaxed as they walked out of sight. She looked up at Teddy, and Teddy smiled at her, a sparkle in his eyes. She relaxed, very happy that she had met someone like Teddy.
NOTE: Hey, thank you for reading. This took us hours and hours of work to get this up and running, and all we hope you could take a moment to tell us what you think. Thank you again and stay tuned for more chapters. :)
