Author's Note: I don't own Harry Potter.
Made With Love
Harry Potter had tried everything.
He had hummed. He had paced. He even tried singing.
Nothing he had done had soothed the crying baby that he held.
He knew that he could call Ginny, but even thinking of doing so caused him to feel guilty. They had agreed to take Teddy from Andromeda after the battle, when they discovered how worn down she was. After losing her husband, daughter, son-in-law, and her once dear sister, caring for a baby as difficult as Teddy was too much for the older woman. Harry and Ginny had understood that nothing had yet served to calm the baby down, but they had hoped that the Weasley clan could work together to find a solution.
They had suffered many a sleepless night since then.
Now, Harry was on his own for a night. Luna was getting married in a week, and Ginny, as her maid of honor, was throwing her a bachelorette party. Harry had insisted that she go to the party without worrying about her boys for a night, as he knew how much it meant to Luna.
He had hoped that the night would be one of the few where Teddy slept for more than a few hours, but he was not so lucky.
Finally, Harry set the red baby into a cot and grabbed a handful of Floo Powder.
"The Burrow," He said, sticking his head into the bright green flames.
Molly Weasley was still sitting on the sofa, and she looked up as the fire changed color.
"Hello dear," She said with a warm smile.
"Hey Mum," Harry replied.
"Rough night?" Molly asked him.
Harry nodded, and sighed with relief as she rose from her seat.
"I'll be right behind you," She assured him.
Harry pulled his head from the flames, wiping soot from his face with his sleeves. He was just lifting Teddy from the cot when Molly appeared.
"Has he slept at all?" She asked him.
Harry shook his head. "He's been screaming off and on, but even when he's quiet he hasn't slept."
Molly nodded. "Hand him to me then, and you can go make him a bottle. I've been working on something that I think may help. Teddy can lay in my lap until it's finished."
Harry thanked the woman quietly, and headed towards the kitchen. He was too tired to even begin feeling hopeful about a possible solution. They had tried so many that it was beginning to feel hopeless. He moved about, being careful not to overheat the formula. He heard Teddy begin to cry, and he tried to quicken his pace.
He froze when suddenly, impossibly, Teddy stopped crying.
Harry came hesitantly around the corner, hardly daring to believe his ears. He had to blink rapidly to stop himself from crying at the sight that waited for him.
Molly was sitting, grinning, as Teddy giggled. The tiny baby was gazing, not at Molly, but at her hair.
Or, rather, what covered her hair.
Molly wore a beanie, which was clearly hand stitched in a great hurry, as her normally neat stitching was patchy. This seemed to matter little to baby Teddy, however, as he was focused instead on matching his own hair to the bubblegum pink color of the hat.
Within a few moments, the baby had succeeded, and Teddy's hair was now the color his mother had always worn it.
"He remembers," Molly breathed. "I only tried it out of desperation; I didn't think it would even work, but look at him!"
Harry had to clear his throat several times before he could reply. "Thank you."
Molly nodded, her eyes suspiciously bright. "Don't mention it dear. Let me give him his bottle, and then we can try putting him down for bed. I have a feeling he may cooperate now."
Teddy ate without ever taking his eyes off of the hat, and his hair remained pink even as he drifted off to sleep.
"Do you think he's dreaming about her?" Molly asked, tearfully.
"I think he's dreaming about the both of them," Harry responded.
Molly left the hat on the kitchen table, promising to knit a few extras in case the first got lost or ruined. Harry thanked her profusely as she stepped into the fire. He then walked up the stairs to his bedroom, and gazed for a few moments at the pink-haired baby.
"Goodnight Teddy," Harry whispered.
He then took off his glasses, wiped his eyes, and climbed into bed for his first peaceful night of sleep in months.
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