Note: Hi there, this is a sequel to my story "Blood", however I use the term sequel very lightly, it can stand alone just fine, I only claim it is a sequel because some of the characters I introduced in Blood (eg. Chester and Orion) will make appearances. This story is AU, although I'm sure that is obvious already! Reviewers will be showered with thanks, because I adore reviews (who doesn't!)

Anyway, here goes…

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, J K Rowling owns it all.

1: The Pocket Watch

The sun shone though the gaps in the trees, casting shadows that danced across the leaf-clad ground of the wood, as the branches above swayed in the summer breeze. Birds sat contentedly in the greenery, singing their hearts out, undisturbed.

That was until the tranquil scene was ruined by the sound of pounding feet, and a male voice's cry of:

"Just you wait, I'll kill ya!"

As a number of birds took flight in alarm a younger boy was heard giggling mischievously.

As Teddy Lupin sprinted up the path, on the heels of a dark haired, dishevelled looking child, he wondered just what he had been thinking five minutes beforehand. What on earth had possessed him to agree to watch eight year old James Potter, whilst both James' and his own parents had a "little chat"? Teddy scowled as he recalled the expectant look that had been on his mother's face when she had asked him to watch the little devil. It had been the sort of look all parents learn to have, daring their offspring to disagree with them. No, Teddy realised begrudgingly as he caught James around the middle, causing them both to crash to the floor with a series of pained grunts, there had been no chance he would decline helping, not when Tonks had looked at him like that.

"Hand it over!" He snapped, trying to prise the child's hand open to get at the object hidden within.

"No!" James screeched, his face red with effort as he tried to keep hold of his stolen prize. "It's mine!"

"It's my dad's!" Teddy corrected angrily, leaning on James' legs to stop him wriggling away. "He'll be mad with me if you break it!" This was of course a lie, the pocket watch that James clung to as if he life depended on it could easily be fixed, but Teddy was getting desperate.

"You're hurting!" James whimpered as the older boy's legs crushed his own.

"Well hand it over then!" Teddy insisted.

"No-ooo!"

And with that James drew back his arm and threw the watch into the air. It seemed to fly in slow motion as Teddy watched it go in horror, before disappearing into the thick mass of bushes beside the path..

As James' giggling rung in his ears Teddy felt simply mortified.
"This is not some silly game, James!" He cried, "that watch isn't just some toy, you can't just throw it away like that! My dad's had that since he came of age!"

James, on the other hand, seemed perfectly unaffected by what Teddy seemed to think was a major tragedy.

"You can just summon it back." He pointed out cheerfully, as Teddy released him and got miserably to his feet.

"Summon….?! I'm under age, you stupid little…" Teddy cut short his chosen insult as he heard footsteps coming up the path behind them.

"Playing nicely, I see."

Teddy pulled James hastily to his feet and turned to smile innocently at his father, who had come to a halt a few meters behind them, looking apprehensively at the pair.

"Yeah, Dad, we are!" Teddy agreed, brushing the dirt from James' back. "James just fell, that's all."

Remus hmmed disbelievingly, but said nothing.

"Just get Remus to do it!" James piped up, grinning at his clear genius.

But Teddy struggled not to scowl at the idea. He couldn't possibly tell Remus what had happened to his pocket watch. If he did, Remus would tell the other adults and they would think he was irresponsible for letting James get hold of it in the first place. He would look stupid.

"Get me to do what?" Remus asked, hands shoved in his pockets, eyebrow raised in question.

James opened his mouth to explain just what, but Teddy quickly interrupted him.

"Don't be silly, James." He said with a chuckle, swatting the boy playfully on the shoulder. "My dad hasn't played Quidditch for at least a hundred years. He's much too old. We'll get your dad to come play later. Let's think of something else to play for now." He stared back at his father, trying to ignore the distinct feeling he had that Remus could spot any lie he told from a mile off.

"Whatever you do, try and keep the noise down. Your mother seems to think there's a band of banshees running through the woods with the noise the two of you are making." Remus told them.

"Teddy screams like a girl." James told the werewolf knowingly. "He does, he goes…." A high pitch scream filled the air and Teddy immediately covered his hands with his ears. As usual Remus did not so much as flinch at the sudden sound, in fact he looked mildly impressed by it.

"That's quite a pair of lungs you have there, James." He said with a smile, when the noise finally stopped.

Teddy scowled. How on earth anybody could smile at such an infuriating boy was beyond him. He'd like to think that if Remus knew what James had done to his watch, he wouldn't smile, but if he was honest, Teddy doubted the smile would waver even then. His disgust must have shown on his face for Remus asked:

"Are you okay, Teddy?"

Again Teddy thought of telling Remus about the watch, but he still decided against it. Instead he smiled and nodded.

"Everything's fine Dad." He said.

"Well then, I'll be going. Remember, keep the noise down."

I gotta find that watch, Teddy decided as he watched his father retreat back up the path. But his resolve was interrupted by James.

"Let's play Werewolf!" He cried eagerly, hopping from foot to foot in excitement.

Teddy groaned as Remus disappeared around the corner. He had always thought it odd that it was his father who had invented the werewolf game, because when he thought about it now he was older, he thought it was a game of poor taste. He had told Remus this once, but his father had simply laughed and told him it was just a child's game, not to be taken seriously. Tonks had said they had played it with him as a little boy to "keep things light-hearted".

"You're werewolf!" James announced, and when Teddy finally threw his head back and pretended to howl, he turned and ran off further into the woods. Teddy gave chase, deciding that he would just have to look for the watch later. It was hard enough keeping James under control, let alone worrying about the watch at the same time.