Just a random, slightly AU one-shot. Remus is alive, but Tonks is dead after the final battle. Harry has set up a date for Remus and offered to watch Teddy. What will this result in?

Disclaimer: The only thing I own is anything you don't recognize. The song is "The Balloon Song" (so original) by Mark Wills and the world of Harry Potter belongs, of course, to J.K. Rowling.

Dedicated to: Christina, as most of my stories are. Rest in Peace, hun.

Think It's In Heaven Yet?

I set a friend of mine up on a date
And I told him I'd watch his boy for the day
And we had a ball playin' games, eatin' dogs
Riding rides at the county fair
I thought he was just being a kid
When we got back to my place
And he did what he did
On a balloon that he won
He wrote mama I had fun
I missed you and I wished you were there
I wasn't sure what he had in mind
'Till he jumped up and ran outside and…

Remus waved goodbye to Harry and Teddy as he left for his date. Harry had set it up about a week ago, with the phrase "Tonks would want you to move on, now start doing it!" Even Teddy had agreed with his godfather-it was time for Remus to move on, to find someone who could fill the void Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin had left. He hoped Teddy would behave for poor Harry today.

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As soon as Remus was out of sight, Harry turned to his young godson. "Well, Teddy, what do you want to do today?" The seven year old shrugged his shoulders. "Well, that's helpful. Tell you what, Teddy-there's a fair in the Muggle town down the road; what do you say, shall we go?" The seven-year-old nodded excitedly.

"Let's go, Uncle Harry!" Teddy cried, tugging on Harry's hand, jumping excitedly. Harry laughed.

"Calm down, kiddo," he said, still laughing. "Let's get in the car first." After he had them all situated in the car, he drove the three miles to the town, entertaining Teddy with a story of the little boy's mother, Nymphadora.

"So Mama turned her nose into a pig's nose and made Aunt Molly faint?" Teddy said. Harry nodded affirmatively. "When I did that, she sent me to a corner!" the little boy whined. Harry struggled to control his laughter and pulled the car into a parking space.

"We're here," he said, still struggling to calm himself.

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The two spent a good portion of the day at the fair, riding the Ferris wheel, eating hot dogs, and practicing hits at the batting cage. Finally, after having won a handful of balloons at one of those games where you have to point a water gun at a cardboard cutout of a duck, Harry got Teddy back into the car and drove home. Teddy ran up the driveway into the house, throwing himself onto the floor in Harry's living room. Harry shook his head-if Ginny were here, she'd pitch a fit; Teddy still had his shoes on. He looked up at his godfather.

"Do you have any markers, Uncle Harry?" he asked. Harry smiled and grabbed a handful of markers from the drawer in his desk where he always kept art supplies for Teddy. The little boy smiled his thanks and took one of the markers. He grabbed a white balloon out of his pockets and started to write on it. Confused and surprised, Harry watched.

Teddy thought for a moment and then began to write: Mama, I had fun, but I miss you and I wish you were here. Love, Teddy

As soon as he was done writing, he asked Harry to blow up the balloon for him. Once Harry had handed the balloon back to Teddy, the child ran outside.

He let it go, he waved goodbye, or was it hello?
I don't know but I died inside
I can still see his excitement
Him pointing and smilin'
When it was gone as it could get
He turned and asked me
You think it's in Heaven yet?

Harry watched as Teddy let the balloon go, waving as it went, and Harry couldn't figure out if Teddy was waving hello or goodbye. As he watched the little boy waving goodbye at a balloon carrying a message for a mother he didn't remember, Harry felt himself die a little inside. He didn't remember his own mother, and yet, he hadn't missed her until he had gone to Hogwarts and learned more about her. Why was it that he missed her then, but not before? He shook himself from his thoughts and looked back at Teddy. The excitement was still evident on his face, and he was staring at the balloon, watching until it was out of sight. Then he turned to Harry and spoke the words that ripped Harry's heart in two.

"Do you think it's in Heaven yet, Uncle Harry?"

Well I struggled for something to say
I was too choked up and
Lackin' the kind of faith he had in his heart
Before I could start
He walked me back inside
He gave me his Crayola pen
Said, I bet there's a message that you'd like to send
And no doubt he was right it's been locked
Up inside since Grandpa said goodbye
I took that yellow balloon and I wrote
'Til I ran out of room then

Harry struggled to think of an answer, never having had faith like that himself. Before he could think of anything, Teddy grabbed his hand and dragged him into the living room again. He handed Harry the Crayola marker and said, "Uncle Harry, Daddy told me about your mummy and daddy. I bet there's a message you'd like to send."

Harry had no doubt that Teddy was right-the kid was wise beyond his years. He'd had this locked up inside since the day Sirius had died, so he took the yellow balloon Teddy handed him and wrote until he ran out of room.

Mum, Dad, Sirius, Dumbledore, Tonks, Fred, and everyone, I miss you all so much. I hate that my fate took you all too soon. I hate that my birth caused all of this. I hate that Voldemort was so evil. I hate that none of you got to see this world free from him. Tonks, I'm so sorry you didn't get to see your son grow up. Fred, I'm so sorry you didn't get to live long enough for all your dreams come true. Dumbledore, I wish I had known you were sick. Mum, Dad, Sirius, I'm just…so sorry. I hope someday I'll be forgiven, even though I know I don't deserve it. Love, Harry

I let it go and we waved goodbye
That seven year old
Lord he opened my eyes
I can still see his excitement
Him pointing and smilin'
When it was gone as it could get
I turned and asked him
You think it's in Heaven yet?

Teddy tugged Harry outside. "Let it go, Uncle Harry!" And Harry did. He let it go, and miraculously felt all his guilt and anger and pain slip away with it. Merlin, this seven-year-old boy had managed to do what others had not, including the wonderful woman Harry loved, Ginny-Teddy had begun the healing process for Harry's shattered heart.

Harry looked down at the small child, who was pointing and smiling just as he had done for his own balloon. When the balloon was out of sight, Harry ventured, "So Teddy, you think it's in Heaven yet?" Teddy looked at him, thought for a moment, and said, "Yeah, Uncle Harry, it is."

A/N: So, what do you think? Love it, hate it, don't care, what? And yes, I realize that the song says "Since the day that Grandpa said goodbye" but I didn't want to change any of the lyrics because I was afraid it would lose some meaning then, so I just substituted a grandfather for Sirius, the first blow to Harry's emotions that Harry was old enough to remember. I also realize that Harry probably wouldn't have markers, and that if he did, Teddy wouldn't know what they were, but just bare with me people-a quill would have ripped a hole into the balloon, so markers it was. Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed it!