A/N: Though I appreciate in the book J.K. leaves Teddy with Andromeda, which is understandable because she's his grandma, I still LOVE the idea of Teddy going to live with Harry and well... practically becoming his son. So I have incorporated Andromeda in this fic but I've changed it slightly so it works to develop the kind of family I picture them having. I also appreciate that Neville and Luna don't end up together in the book but I have ALWAYS been a HUGE shipper of them so they get a slight mention in here too, which brings me on to my next point... I hope that people don't find it particularly odd that I have included Neville, Luna, Lysander and Lorcan into the extended Potter/Weasley family, however they're all very good friends and usually people so close end up instantly being included in families, I know that I have some close 'relatives' that I'm not actually related too, and Molly Weasley has also always been very motherly to people and she was very inclusive with Tonks and Lupin so I figured why not Neville and Luna too? Also, as Lily is actually called Lily Luna Potter they must still be very close to her for them to call Lily after Luna! So... that's just a few points I wanted to clear up before you read it :D
Disclaimer: I unfortunately don't own Harry Potter or I would make everything above actually true!
There Is More Than One Kind Of Family
If you are about to read this and have not yet read the A/N it might be better if you do because it clears up some points made in the fic. Thank you!
"Teddy?" Harry Potter folded down the top of his copy of The Daily Prophet and looked at James and Teddy with eager anticipation. Past experience had taught Harry that rather funny questions or suspicions usually followed when his six year old son's voice was filled with a particular tone of inquisition and, as they were preparing to send Teddy off for his second year of Hogwarts in a few weeks, Harry was keen to hear a round of questions like Teddy had received the summer before. "You're our brother aren't you?" The Daily Prophet slipped out of Harry's hands and the various sheets of paper went sliding everywhere he also somehow managed to knock over a glass sending shards of it all across the table, the sound causing an anxious Ginny to come running in, closely followed by a dazed four year old Albus.
"What happened?" Ginny tutted. "The bang scared me to death. I've just put Lily down for a nap so if you're going to be being silly can you do so a bit more quietly?" She quickly wafted her wand to tidy the mess up, lifted Albus and shifted the slightly too big toddler onto her hip, looking at the three boys sat at the kitchen table expectantly.
"I asked Teddy if he was my brother and then Dad dropped the paper and knocked over the glass." James explained. "I mean, I know what happened to his mummy and daddy, but Teddy lives with us and I've heard him call you dad and mum sometimes but then sometimes he calls you Harry and Ginny which is ok because you kind of are his mum and dad but then you kind of aren't too…" James began to trail off, sensing that something he'd said wasn't right and Ginny's eyes widened as she looked towards Harry even more expectantly. Harry quickly glanced at Teddy; his forehead was furrowed as though he was really concentrating on something. Harry hoped he wasn't concentrating on stopping himself from crying.
"Uh, James, go with your mummy a minute."
"Have I done something bad?" James' eyes began to fill with tears, but after a quick consolation from his mother he followed her into the living room with one last nervous smile darted towards his dad and Teddy. Harry and Teddy continued to sit in silence for a minute.
For the first three years of his life, Teddy lived with his grandmother. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione would visit him together at least three times a week; in addition Harry would apparate to Andromeda's house every single night almost without fail to spend half an hour with him before putting him to bed. There was never really a time when Teddy and Andromeda didn't have visitors as the other various members of the Weasley family also visited him regularly too; Bill and Fleur brought Victoire to play with him a lot, and Neville, finding it easy to relate to Teddy's situation slightly, popped round quite a bit too usually bringing Luna with him. Andromeda was never without help, but eventually looking after a lively toddler began to take it's toll and when Teddy turned three, the newly-weds, Harry and Ginny, agreed to take legal guardianship of the little man. They found it challenging, but it was safe to say Harry loved it and he'd only ever slightly thought about how they'd explain to their own children what the situation was if the matter arose. Of course Teddy knew about his parents, James had also been informed and so had Albus, to the extent that a four year old child could be, but Harry realised that James must be completely confused about what that really meant.
"What are you going to tell James?" Teddy asked, still looking a little troubled.
"Well, I was going to ask you what you thought I should tell him." Teddy looked at his hands for a minute and then sighed.
"I'm not his brother."
"Is that what you want me to tell him?" Harry was treading carefully, trying to remember how his younger self would have felt if he was in the same position.
"No. I would really love it if I could tell him I was his brother." Harry nodded and then suddenly Teddy quickly corrected himself. "I don't mean I'm not proud of who I am and who my parents are," he muttered, looking ashamed of himself. "I would just really like it if I didn't have to pretend that they were my brothers."
"Then you should tell him that." Harry reached across the table and took hold of Teddy's hand.
"What do you mean?"
"There is more than one kind of family Teddy and just because we aren't related by blood does not mean you are not part of our family. When I was a bit younger than you I gained a brother and a sister: your Uncle Ron and Auntie Hermione. Now I know technically they're my brother and sister-in-laws, but I still thought of them as my siblings then just as much as I do now and I know that Molly and Arthur have seen me as their son for a very long time, even before me and Ginny were together. When you were three years old I adopted you, that legally makes us your parents and, I'll have you know, I'm very proud to have you as a son." Teddy grinned at Harry.
"I know sometimes I call you mum and dad and sometimes I don't, but sometimes it just doesn't feel right…" Teddy began to look slightly guilty, but Harry quickly squeezed his hand.
"Me and Ginny have never expected you to call us anything you don't want to, if you want to call us mum and dad then you have just as much right to as James and Albus." Teddy nodded, beginning to smile again. "You've been around for Albus, James and Lily's whole lives and I am positive that they think of you as no less than a brother, I just think James was a bit confused, so you have nothing to worry about at all, we're not going to be kicking you out anytime soon!" Harry nudged Teddy and winked at him playfully; receiving the laugh he'd hoped for. "Now, I think you'd better go and clear up James' confusion." With a hug and a kiss on the forehead, Harry sent Teddy out of the kitchen feeling quite proud of himself; he was often surprised when it came to parenting matters and he thought he usually handled things quite impressively. Ron had told him not days ago about how he'd gone bright red and ran out the room when Rose asked where babies came from therefore Harry was feeling quite apprehensive about that next question, but so far Harry thought he'd done quite well.
"All sorted?" Harry looked up to see a flustered looking Ginny stood in the door way, holding Lily who looked as though she'd just thrown a massive tantrum with tear stains down her cheeks.
"Oh yeah, everything's just fine. Teddy is in the living room discussing things with his brothers right now." At the mention of brothers Ginny beamed at her husband, plonked herself down next to him and started to quietly whisper to Lily who soon started to doze off again. Harry took the moment of peace to think about, in his opinion, his slightly dysfunctional family and realised it was not really a surprise that he got confused. James had his Grandpa and Grandma, six Uncles (five, Harry mentally corrected himself) four Aunties, nine cousins and three siblings (including Teddy), then of course he had Luna and Neville whom he called Aunty and Uncle despite not being actually related, and Lorcan and Lysander that were always classed as cousins. It was not a surprise that he needed reminding who they all were every so often. Suddenly all three boys came running back into the kitchen loudly shouting about how Errol had just flew into the window. It appeared that everyone had spontaneously decided to pay a visit to The Burrow and according to the note attached to the old owl's leg it felt odd that they weren't there too. As the boys continued to loudly insist that they leave immediately, Lily woke up and started to cry again filling the kitchen with twice the noise. In all the hustle and bustle, Ginny managed to usher everyone towards the fireplace issuing them all with Floo powder and they soon found themselves in the fireplace of The Burrow. It was full to the brim, as the house usually was, the rooms overpowered with laughter from the adults, screams and giggles as the children embraced their Grandparents, Aunties, Uncles and Cousins along with the cries of some of the younger children. Teddy caught Harry's eye and grinned at him.
"Thanks dad." Teddy bellowed over the noise, earning a few confused looks from his family to which Ginny promised to explain later.
"What for?" Harry replied, just as confused.
"For this!" Giving Harry one last hug Teddy ran to the opposite side of the room and straight towards where his set of Grandparents sat chatting, Andromeda quickly grabbed him into an embrace soon followed by Molly and Arthur.
To anyone else but the Weasley, Potter and Longbottom clan, being in a noisy house full of thirty-two different family members was like hell on Earth, but to them, especially Harry, Teddy and, as Harry thought about it, probably Neville too, it was more like heaven. Harry couldn't count how many days he'd sat in the Dursley's house wishing he had parents and a big family that actually loved him, Harry also knew that Neville had longed to have his parents back to how they used to be and a family that had more faith in him; whenever they were all at The Burrow together, they were reminded of just how many people loved them and even if some of them weren't really related both of the boys finally felt as though they had family. Whenever Teddy played with his cousins or caused trouble with his Uncle George, he couldn't be anymore thankful that he had such a big group of people that cared for him; he still had Grandparents, Uncles, Aunties, Cousins and brothers, even if the two people he wanted to be there the most couldn't be around to watch him grow.