Trick or Treat
Harry entered his flat, closing the door behind him. He dropped his messenger bag and cloak in an armchair. He went into his and Ginny's bedroom where he flopped on the bed, sighed as he let himself relax for the first time that day.
"Rough day?" an amused voice said.
"Yeah," Harry mumbled into the pillow. "It was a long, rough, day and I'm glad it's over."
He felt Ginny sit down on the side of the bed and pull off his combat boots, which was easier said than done with Harry lying on his belly.
"Hungry?" she asked.
"Starving."
Ginny gently rubbed his back, feeling the tense muscles in his back. The Auror department had been busy and it was Thursday, which meant fitness day for the field Aurors. Yonas Mensa, the fitness trainer, was a drill sergeant in the gym.
Harry managed to avoid the hardcore exercise session, but that didn't mean that he would come home feeling like he was hit by a bus.
"I have something to tell you."
Before Harry could answer, a black blob came in and jumped on his back.
"Harry!" Teddy excitedly shouted.
"Teddy!" Harry replied in the same manner. Teddy got off for Harry to turn over. When Harry was on his back, Teddy jumped on Harry's stomach.
"Oaf, are you trying to crush me?" Teddy's smile left his face.
"Did I hurt your tummy?" he asked
"No buddy, you didn't," Harry said, ruffling Teddy's hair.
Ginny smiled at the interacting between godson and godfather.
"Boys, why don't we go in the kitchen? I got pizza," Ginny intervened before they moved on to full-on roughhousing.
Ginny sent Harry and Teddy into the bathroom to wash hands before they ate dinner. While they did this, Ginny got out plates and cups, sitting them on the table. She poured soda into the cups and got out two slices of pizza out and placed them on each plate.
Teddy came in and climbed into his seat, Harry right behind him.
"Teddy will be staying with us this weekend, Andromeda is going out of town with a few friends and I told her that we would watch Teddy."
Harry looked from Ginny to Teddy. "Okay, I'll take him to the Burrow tomorrow since I have to work and you have practice."
"Mum said she would watch him," Ginny explained, having made the arrangements with her mother earlier. She turned to Teddy. "Victoire will be there as well, so you'll have someone to play with."
Teddy smiled when he heard his friend would be there to play with him. It got boring for Teddy at the Burrow without someone to play with. Despite the two year age difference, Victoire and Teddy play together well.
Once Teddy had finished his pizza, he asked, "Can we have ice cream for dessert?"
"Sure buddy," Harry answered before Ginny could. Anytime Teddy had pizza with Harry and Ginny, ice cream would follow.
Once dinner was over Harry got out the bowls and the ice cream, scooping out three scoops in his bowl and two in Teddy's. When the ice cream was ready, Harry and Teddy retreated to the living room.
Ginny began cleaning the kitchen as Harry and Teddy sat in the living room and began watching SpongeBob Squarepants. While her boys were watching the show about a sponge that lived in a pineapple under the sea, Ginny washed her practice uniform and Harry's Auror uniform. He only wore it for formal meetings and occasions such as ministry functions or sessions with the Wizengamot.
"Trick or treat is this weekend, I saw it on the board when I went to get the mail," Ginny told Harry when he brought the bowls in the kitchen.
"We'll have to get some candy tomorrow, won't we? Tomorrow's Friday."
Ginny thought for a moment and said, "We'll have to get Muggle candy. But we could get Teddy some of his favorites from Honeydukes."
"Okay." Ginny began washing the dishes from the ice cream. "We'll have to go look for a costume."
"I'll take care of it tomorrow. I can work half a day and take Teddy to look for a costume," Harry said as he left the kitchen.
Harry went back into the living room where Teddy was watching Stuart Little. Ginny had bought him the movie after Harry finished reading the book to Teddy.
Ginny went into Teddy's room to unpack his clothes for the weekend and make his bed. Harry sat down to watch the movie with Teddy.
After the movie, Ginny fixed bath for Teddy and Harry gave him a bath. After bathing Teddy, Harry allowed him to sit in the tub, playing with toys that Harry threw in and started reading James and the Giant Peach.
Harry had found some books from his childhood when he cleaned out his room and when he and Ginny went to a Muggle bookstore. When he was a child, Harry found an outlet in reading. He would escape the life he had in Surrey and allow the books to whisk him away to faraway lands.
That was one thing that Harry wanted for Teddy. It was one of the things they did together. Teddy loved it when Harry read to him, regardless if it was The Cat in the Hat or The Tales of Beedle the Bard.
When Teddy was ready, he would get out and dry off. After changing into pajamas, he would jump into bed and allow Ginny and Harry to tuck him in. Sometimes Teddy asked Harry to pick up from where he left off or would ask for a story about his parents.
Harry would tell him stories about his parents, telling about how happy they were when they had him and how they got together. Harry would read or tell stories until Teddy went to sleep. Harry would kiss the top of his head and cover him up a little more, turning off the lamp as he left the room.
Even though Harry saw himself in Teddy, Harry made sure that Teddy was loved and cared for in the ways Harry wasn't.
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Harry stood in the aisle, looking over the costume choices for Teddy. The store was crowded with customers getting together last minute costumes and candy. Harry has managed to get a few bags of candy and escape the candy aisle, without problems.
Now he was in the children's section with Teddy, looking for a costume.
"What about that one?" Harry pointed to a pirate costume. Teddy shook his head. Harry scanned the boys' selections and found a vampire costume. "Do you want to be a vampire?"
"No! What about this one?" Teddy asked, pointing to a SpongeBob Squarepants costume.
Harry looked for Teddy's size and was unable to find it.
"Sorry buddy, they don't have it." As Harry got up, he noticed a costume that Teddy would like. He looked for Teddy's size in it and to his relief they had it. He handed it to Teddy.
"What about this one?"
"Spiderman!" Teddy exclaimed. "Yes, I want to be Spiderman." He looked up at his godfather. "Will you be Spiderman with me?" he asked with a pout.
"Did Ginny teach you that?" Harry asked his godson. Teddy nodded and added the puppy dog eyes.
"Okay, I'll go as Spiderman," Harry gave in. After sitting Teddy in the cart, Harry went two aisles down to the men's department and to his chagrin, they had an adult Spiderman costume and in Harry's size. After getting the costumes, Harry walked over to the trick or treat bags and buckets.
"Do you want a pumpkin bucket or a bag?" Harry asked.
"Bag," Teddy pointed to the one he wanted.
"You want the Frankenstein bag or the pumpkin one?"
"Pumpkin," Teddy said and Harry handed him the pumpkin bag.
Harry made his way to the check out since they had all they needed and then returned to Harry and Ginny's flat.
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"You make a cute Spiderman," Ginny said when Harry tried on the costume later that afternoon.
"How are we going to do the head with the glasses?" he wondered out loud.
Ginny thought for a moment and waved her wand on the head part. When she was done, she handed it to Harry.
"Here, see if that works?"
Harry put on the head with his glasses on and realized Ginny had placed an undetectable extension charm. No one would be any the wiser that Harry wore glasses. With the charm, Harry was able to wear the glasses comfortably and without an indention with the mask that he was wearing glasses.
"That works."
Ginny smiled. "You never went trick or treat when you were a kid did you?"
Harry shook his head. "I was the one who handed out the candy."
Ginny's smile fallen. She knew his childhood wasn't the greatest. He told her about the cupboard, the starvation, the abuse and the chores. When he went to get the rest of his things from Privet Drive, he confronted his uncle and told them off.
Teddy would never be treated the same way Harry was. He did everything that his aunt and uncle didn't do. He never threw him in a cupboard and locked him in, never giving him food. If Teddy asked questions, Harry answered them the best he could. He never made Teddy starve, quite the opposite. He saw to it that Teddy had everything he needed. If Andromeda needed anything for Teddy, Harry saw that he got it.
Harry was the type of godfather Sirius would have been if Harry had lived with him or if his parents lived. He figured Sirius would take him to the park and play with him like he was an overgrown kid, he would get him out of trouble with his parents if possible, and he would give him all types of sugary treats and send him home on a sugar high that he was bouncing off the walls.
And Harry did all that, minus the sending him home with a sugar high. For Andromeda's sack, he waited until he crashed before he took him home. Andromeda could be scary if she wanted to and Harry reminded his self that of whom her sister was.
Many times Ginny would sit in the shade of the oak tree in the backyard of the Burrow or on a bench at the park and watch Harry and Teddy play. She would laugh at her normally serious husband play with Teddy.
Since hearing about Halloween and trick or treating, Teddy was excited. He looked forward to going around the neighborhood collecting candy and spending time with Harry.
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Teddy was bouncing on his feet with his trick or treat bag in hand.
"Come, Harry, I'm ready to go!"
Harry came out of Teddy's room, carrying a jacket.
"Okay, let's go."
The building Harry and Ginny lived in didn't have a lot of kids, but somehow on trick or treat night, the amount doubled. Grandchildren of the older residents would come around and the landlady on the main floor gave out an apple in addition to candy.
Harry had told Teddy they would start on the top level and work their way down, then they would go to Ron and Hermione's, around Andromeda's neighborhood, finishing the night off at the Burrow.
Teddy jumped on the lift and Harry pressed 4 for the top level.
When the doors open, Teddy walked to the first door and knocked.
A middle-aged woman opened the door. "Trick or Treat," Teddy said.
"Here you go," she dropped a handful of suckers in Teddy's bag.
"Thank you." Teddy walked to the next door and knocked. Another middle-aged woman answered and dropped a treat bag in Teddy's bag.
"Thank you." He walked to the last door and knocked. A young man answered.
"Trick or treat."
"Spiderman, cool. I guess you got Dad to dress up with you?"
Harry felt his heart stop, afraid of how Teddy would react. But Teddy just thanked the man and said, "Yeah, he wanted to be a pirate, but I wouldn't let him." The man laughed as he wished Harry and Teddy a good night.
They moved to level three. At the first door, an old lady gave Teddy some M&Ms. She also commented on Harry and Teddy's matching costumes.
Teddy walked to the next one and knocked. Ginny answered.
"Trick or treat."
"You two look awfully familiar, do I know you?" she asked, pretending not to know them.
"Ginny! It's me and Harry!" Teddy exclaimed.
"Oh, well here you go. Looks like you got a lot of stuff." She dropped a handful of the snack size candy bars Harry had picked up.
Before Ginny shut the door, Harry stopped her.
"Did I say that we would go to Ron and Hermione's and Andromeda's neighbor AND the Burrow?" he asked, praying she would say no.
"Yes, you did, and you never break a promise," Ginny reminded him with a smile.
Harry groaned. Ginny laughed.
"I'll rub your feet when you get home," she whispered in his ear.
Not thinking twice Harry replied, "Throw in a back rub and you got a deal."
Ginny pulled the head of his costume up and pecked his cheek and send him to Teddy. While Harry was talking to Ginny, Teddy went on next door. She gave Teddy something called a popcorn ball.
"Don't wear Harry out, Teddy!" Ginny told the little boy as he jumped on the lift.
"I won't," Teddy replied, in an innocent
The second and main levels were mainly the elderly. Only two on the second level were handing out candy.
"Look at this Elmer, a father, and son Spiderman".
"I have eyes Ethel, I can see that!"
Harry had lost count of the many times he was stuck on the lifts with Elmer and Ethel. When Ron and Hermione were with him the last time, he told his friends "that is you two when you're old and gray."
"Trick or treat," Teddy said.
"Here you go" Ethel handed Teddy a handful of candy
"Thank you". Teddy walked to the other old lady handing out candy. She gave Teddy a bag of crisps and a box of juice.
"Thank you."
"You're welcome, you the only Spiderman I've seen, other than my grandson."
They said goodbye to the elderly couple and rode the lifts to the main level.
"Finally the main level," Harry thought when they got off the lift.
"Who are you supposed to be?" the landlady asked.
"I'm Spiderman!" Teddy exclaimed.
The middle-aged woman smiled and handed Teddy his treats. "Here your apple and here's your treat bag."
"Thank you." Teddy walked back to Harry.
"I have one left and it seems like everyone is done here, would you like the last one?" the landlady asked.
Teddy looked up at Harry.
"I guess you could," Harry answered his godson's unasked question.
"Thank you!" Teddy took the apple and stuck it in the bag.
They returned to their own flat where they flooed to Ron and Hermione's.
"How cute is that!" Hermione exclaimed when they came out of the floo.
"Trick or treat," Teddy said when he approached Hermione.
"Here you go and I included some of that bubble gum you like," Hermione dropped a hand full of candy.
"Hey Spiderman junior and senior," Ron greeted when he entered. Immediately Harry grabbed a hold of him.
"One word about this to anyone in the office and I'll share that memory I have of you dancing on the table singing Wannabe by Spice Girls."
Ron's eyes went wide. It was George's bachelor party and Lee had dared Ron to do karaoke. He had seen the memory of that from his brother George and Harry.
"My lips are sealed," Ron muttered.
"Thanks."
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Harry disapparated to Andromeda's backyard and opened the door. They walked to the front door. Andromeda had told Harry to disappear to the backyard and they would come and go that way. The backyard was high gated and hidden from their neighbor's.
Teddy waited for Harry at the gate and they took off for the house next door, making a circle around the block before crossing the street.
Many of Andromeda's neighbors commented Teddy on his costume and bragged on the matching costumes. Most of them knew Harry and said that it was sweet that Harry and Teddy were in matching costumes.
"Ready to go to the Burrow?" Harry asked. Teddy nodded excitedly. They went to Andromeda's backyard and disapparated to the Burrow.
Harry led Teddy to the front door. "Don't panic Molly. It's just me and Teddy."
Molly engulfed Teddy into a hug as Harry took off the Spiderman head and collapsed in an armchair.
"Worn you out did he?"
Harry nodded slowly. Arthur smiled, knowing that Harry was trying to give Teddy the childhood he didn't have. They knew it was one of the promises Harry made to Teddy when he was a baby.
Molly handed Teddy some chocolate frogs and sugar wands, which she put in Teddy's bag.
"There you are. Happy Halloween!"
"Thank you, Grandma Molly." Teddy hugged her as he thanked her for the candy.
When the clock chimed eight, Harry and Teddy headed home to Harry and Ginny's flat.
Once they stepped out of the floo, Teddy dumped out the candy and treats on the table in the kitchen. Harry was surprised at the amount of candy and treats Teddy had got.
"Can I eat some of the candy?" Teddy asked with a pout. Harry smiled and said he could once he looked it over. He sorted the candy into two piles, one being all of Teddy's favorites and what he didn't like or want.
"Okay, knock yourself out."
Teddy began with the apple he got from the landlady. Harry added the bag crisps he got to Teddy's snack bowl and fixed the juice box for him to drink. Harry began munching on the apple he got from the landlady and gathered the candy into a bowl.
Teddy had finished the apple and began eating the popcorn ball after Harry cut in into bite-size pieces.
Overall the night turned out to be fun, Teddy had a good time and that was all that mattered to Harry was that Teddy enjoyed himself and had a good time.
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Ginny woke up the next morning, alone. She got up, looking in the bathroom, not finding Harry. They came back home later than they planned and Teddy asked to sit up to watch a Halloween cartoon. Since it was Saturday, Harry said yes.
Ginny walked into the living room, finding Teddy on one couch and Harry on the other. She smiled as she walked to the kitchen and start breakfast.
The smell of waffles woke up Teddy.
"Morning Ginny," Teddy greeted as he entered the kitchen.
"Good morning Teddy, did you sleep well last night?"
"Yeah, I fell asleep after the show went off. Harry fell asleep in the middle of it."
Ginny smiled at the little boy she thought of as her own son.
Harry entered the kitchen, looking half asleep. He ruffled Teddy's hair and kissed Ginny on the cheek.
As they sat down to breakfast, Teddy filled Ginny in on trick or treating and what all he got. He asked if she could make popcorn balls with him sometime and Harry brought up the idea of making them and dipping them in chocolate which excited Teddy all the more.
Later the afternoon Ginny found Harry and Teddy in Teddy's room, sound asleep. Harry never got a good night's sleep on the couch and it was Teddy's nap time. Enough though he was four, he still liked his afternoon naps.
Ginny threw a blanket over Harry and Teddy and kissed the top of their heads. She took Harry's glasses off and set them on the side table.
She quietly left the room, smiling at the scene before her. She couldn't wait to have children of their own one day. She didn't doubt that Harry would make a wonderful father.
"What are you thinking about Ginny? I can hear the wheels in your head turning."
Ginny jumped. She didn't notice Harry had moved to the living room and sit beside her on the couch.
"I'm thinking about the future, having a baby and you taking our children trick or treating."
Harry smiled as he wrapped an arm around her. "I know I thought of too".
Ginny leaned against Harry's shoulder, snuggling into the warmth of his body. She looked up at him and said, "I love you".
Harry kissed her and said "I love you too," against her lips.
Harry and Ginny were still snuggled on the couch when Teddy woke up. They watched TV together and made dinner together.
As it turned out Harry and Ginny's wish for a baby, would come true….two years later.