A/N: This was written for BluePhyre's Location Location Location Competition. My location was Spinner's End and My character was Teddy Lupin.
Disclaimer: As always, I own none of what you recognize. We should all thank JKR for giving us this sandbox in which to play.
Style note: When something is written in italics, this is indicative of and internal monologue.
'Bloody hell! Why did I say yes to this project?' Teddy asks himself, as he wanders the deserted streets. Row after row of boarded up houses and empty, trash strewn lots greet him.
'Because I wanted to make sure it was done right.' He answers the nagging voice in his head.
Teddy had recently agreed to work on a project funded by The Ministry of Magic's Historical Preservation Bureau. He was commissioned to paint twenty portraits and twenty landscapes. Each portrait was to be of a person who had lost their life during the second rise of Voldemort. The landscapes were to be of that same person's childhood or familial home. Teddy was honored he had been chosen, but he was also concerned that he would not be able to do such powerful material justice.
When Teddy first received the list from Bureau, he was a little overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. He knew most of the names on the list. There were a few, however, that he had to look up. It was during this research, that Teddy came to realize that there was a name missing from the list. With help, he formulated a plan and went to talk to Harry about it.
-ooo-
"Harry, can I talk to you for a minute?" Teddy asked, poking his head through the open doorway to Harry's study.
"Sure Ted," Harry said, putting down the paper he was reading. "What's up?"
"Have you heard about the project I am working on?" Teddy asked.
"Gin told me," Harry said, nodding his head.
"Let me show you something?" Teddy asked, removing a parchment from a folder he was carrying."This is the list of the people and places they want me to paint," he said, sliding the parchment, across the desk to Harry.
Harry takes a few minutes to read the paper, looking up at Teddy when he had finished.
"What's the issue?" Harry asked.
"You don't notice a very important name missing?" Teddy asks incredulously.
"Well, yes I do," Harry said. "I'm really not all that shocked though."
Teddy took another parchment, from his folder, and handed it to Harry.
"I was wondering if you could sign this?" Teddy asked.
Harry took a few more minutes to read the new parchment.
"You want me to sign this?" Harry asked, his voice showing disbelief.
"Yes, sir," Teddy answered
"Ted, you know if this all goes pear-shaped, you could lose the project!" Harry said, obviously concerned for his godson.
Teddy nodded.
"Seems like a lot to sacrifice for him," Harry commented.
"Is it any more than what he sacrificed for us?" Teddy asked.
"Are you sure this will stand up in court?" Harry asked, holding the parchment in his hands.
Teddy smirked and nodded, "I had our resident legal expert help me."
"I thought I recognized Albus' sly hand in this," Harry chuckled, picking up his quill and dipping it in the ink well on the desk.
"I am glad that boy works on my side," Harry said, signing the document.
-ooo-
After Harry had signed the paper, it was no problem getting the other families and relatives to sign as well.
Teddy presented his case to Thomas Collins, the department head, who was in charge of the project.
"I am sorry, Mr Lupin, " Mr. Collins said emptily. "The board feels that his inclusion, at this time, is unwarranted. Perhaps, at some later date."
"I was afraid they would feel that way," Teddy said resolutely. "Which is why I took the liberty of having this drawn up," Teddy passed the parchment, that Harry and the other families had signed, to Mr. Collins.
Anger flashed in Mr. Collins' eyes, as he read the parchment. After taking a few moments to collect himself, he spoke.
"So you and the other families are prepared to see this through?" He asked.
"Yes, as the document says, unless the list is amended, all the families withdraw their support and refuse to allow the usage of any names or likenesses."
"Fine!" Mr. Collins spat out. "I will present this to the board. You should know by the weekend," he said, picking up his quill. "Good day, Mr. Lupin."
Teddy received an owl-post the next day, saying the board had reconsidered and the list now numbered twenty-one.
-ooo-
Which is why Teddy was now walking down the derelict street, looking for a single abandoned property. Teddy stops at the address he had been looking for. The building is boarded up and falling apart, like most of Spinner's End.
'It's worse than I expected,' Teddy thinks.
Teddy removes the lens cap, from the Muggle camera around his neck, and begins to take photos of the abandoned property and surrounding areas. Teddy could have recreated the home from other photos, but he felt he needed to experience each location to do it justice. Looking at the dilapidated buildings and the near feral children playing in the empty lots, Teddy wishes he had not experienced this. The sense of futile finality and hopelessness was more prevalent, on the streets, than the pests and vermin, which ran free.
'No wonder he became a Death Eater,' Teddy thinks. 'Any way to escape this.'
Teddy shook himself out of his thoughts and ducked down an ally, so he could Apparate back to his studio.
Teddy casts the spell unlocking the door to his studio. Various canvases were set on easels, most in differing stages of completeness. Teddy walks to a corner of his studio, where he has laid out several drawings and photos of various buildings. Along one of the walls, he has hung the paintings he has finished for the project. Teddy decided to do the easiest paintings first. He had already finished the portrait of Fred Weasley and the landscape of The Burrow. He had also finished the the portrait of Colin Creevey and his family home. He had to place some of the landscapes on hold, as there was little information or photos about them. He had asked Hermione Weasley if she would help with the research, in her spare time. She had readily agreed.
Teddy removes a white cloth covering his current work canvas. He is immediately greeted by the piercing eyes, hawk-like nose, and the long, coal black, oily hair of his subject.
Teddy sighs and picks up his brushes and palette. As he starts to blend the colors on the palette, he wonders if he could speak with his subject what would he say to him, and what would the subject say about all the fuss being made over him.
Teddy chuckles, 'he would probably say something snide and insulting about my father and stalk off to a dungeon.'
Teddy stops blending and looks at the portrait. "I guess you don't have to be a good guy to be a hero," he says aloud, to the empty studio, before getting to work.