Dear Teddy,

Happy 17th birthday, baby boy.

First off Teds, your father and I love you very much, and we didn't mean to leave you.

I hope you never see this letter, son. If you're reading this the worst has happened, and I'm so sorry. I should've protected your mother.

Remus, I'm sure it wasn't your fault. Anyway, I can protect myself! (If anything Teddy, I'll have to be looking after your father! Every time there's a spider in the tub he has to get me to remove it.)

I have a particularly strong case of arachnophobia, Nymphadora. It doesn't make me less manly, and it certainly doesn't mean I wouldn't lay down my life for you.

Don't call me Nymphadora! It's Tonks! Teddy, if anyone tries to call me Nymphadora; it's Tonks, always Tonks…

Anyway, I hope as you've grown up that you have been able to understand why we did what we did. I can't pretend to know how living in a world without parents has been, but knowing your genes I think you would have been able to withstand it. We Lupins are a hardy sort. We can deal with werewolves attacking us and- wait. Do you know about that? Are you a werewolf too?! I don't know if it's hereditary, but if it is then I'm so-

Remmy, please stop with all that. Harry will definitely have told Teddy all about us, and he's more likely to be a meta like me than a wolf-cub like you.

You may still have trouble understanding why we gave our lives. You may wonder why we didn't just sit back and let others take the fall that we did. Why not someone else's parents? Why us? It was partially for our consciences. We knew that Voldemort's casual killing of muggles and muggle-borns was wrong, and we did everything we could to make the world we lived in right again. Your mother and I worked hard in the Order of the Phoenix (ask Harry to tell you about that) and it was for our friends we'd lost along the way too. Many of the Order will have suffered the same fate we have, and there will be many children, like you, who have been left parentless and alone because of the terrible atrocities of Voldemort and the Death Eaters…

(Including your grand-daddy on my side. The one you're named after.)

…It is important that you remember we did this for you to have a better life. I know it may not seem like it, and you may even be angry that we chose to do this and left you an orphan, but what we did was the best way of ensuring that your future was not threatened by evil.

Remus, that sounds so cliché.

Alright, threatened by…bad guys.

You've had to live without parents for almost 17 years now. Hopefully Harry has kept his word and taken you in. We knew he'd be a good god-father for you.

He was one of my favourite and best students; produced a patronus at the age of 13. Very bright, and he has the best chance out of all of us of surviving this war.

Hopefully Harry won the war. I hope we stopped You-Know-Who-

His name's Voldemort, Tonks. Remember what Dumbledore said."Fear of-"

Yes, yes, I remember. "Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself." Now I've lost my train of thought.

Hopefully we've stopped Voldemort…

Oh yes. Hopefully we've stopped his rise to power, and hopefully the world is a better place for you now.

Just so you know, son, we fully support all the houses of Hogwarts. Even Slytherin. We wouldn't care a bit if you were in Slytherin, so long as you are happy. Also, if you tickle the pear on the picture of the bowl of fruit, it takes you down to the kitchens. I used that secret passageway all the time.

Hopefully you've had a good time at school, and you're preparing for your NEWTs now. Perhaps you'll be an auror like me, or a teacher like your father.

I only taught for one year Dora. You could hardly call it my profession.

It still counts, Remus. We both wish you luck in your life as an of-age wizard…

Try not to abuse your magic. Don't apparate all over the place. Don't use it to carry your books around for you, and definitely don't get into un-necessary duels.

Necessary duels, of course. Go ahead then.

Dora! Don't fight, son. Use you words.

I hope we didn't die in vain, Teddy.

Remember, we love you. So much. More than anything.

Hugs and butterfly kisses,

Mumma and Dad