Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter.
The night was young, but the moon lay high in the January heavens. An owl twittered in the distant trees, but the inhabitants of Number 12 Grimmauld place lay sound asleep.
The baby shuffled in his blankets, causing them to roll down his body, and curve around him. Oblivious to the cold, Albus Potter slept on, clasping the top of the discarded blanket, his fingers curling to appease the fabric.
Albus' older brother, James, lay soundly in between his two parents, their hands linked over the top of his slowly rising chest. James wasn't usually allowed to sleep with his parents, and he knew it. However, tonight, he had crept in at quarter to 12, and his parents didn't have the heart to move him. The lull of the families breathing created a quiet sort of whisper that wound its way around the room, the calmness of the moonlit dark following its lead.
The family owl fluttered to a halt outside the window, gently tapping it with his beak, before discarding the dead frog on the outside window sill. It swayed on the ledge; its dark brown eyes reproachful about being left in the cold. It hooted indignantly, before leaving its post, and flying back off into the night.
Everything was silent, and everything was normal, until the sound of rushing wind broke the midnight drowsiness. Harry Potter's eyes snapped open, and was at once alert to his surroundings.
"Wassgoingon?" Ginny murmured, feeling her husband move beside her.
"I thought I heard… never mind." Harry muttered, glancing at the darkened doorway.
"What?" Ginny persisted, following his gaze, and peering at the corridor.
"I thought I heard someone floo." Harry explained, and Ginny's eyes widened.
"What?" She whispered; the tone of the word much different to what it had been seconds prior.
"Where's Al?" Harry hissed, clambering out of bed to retrieve the baby. He reached into the Moses basket, and cradled the baby close to his chest, all the while staring at the doorway with sharp eyes. He made his way back to the bed, and placed Albus safely in his mother's arms. He was momentarily distracted, but was brought back to the room with a jerk as they heard the soft, scraping sound of an armchair being moved across the carpet.
"Stay here," Harry instructed, reaching for his wand, but Ginny grabbed his arm.
"No! What the hell are you doing?" Ginny hissed, accidently jostling the baby. He awoke with a start, and opened his eyes, a glare reminiscent of his mother etched upon his tiny features.
"I'm going to see who-"
"Are you crazy?" growled Ginny, her grip on Harry's arm tightening, "Can you stop being so bloody noble for just a few moments and think logically!?"
"What'd you-?" Harry began, before Ginny snatched the wand from his grasp, and shut the door with a slash. It thudded to a close, and everyone froze, ears alert for any sounds. But nothing came.
"Look, I bet its just a rogue niffler Ron and George left in the living room when the visited last-" Ginny started, but Harry shushed her with a wave of his hand. An almighty creak flooded the house, and Harry flinched at the sound, instinctively reaching for the wand that lay beside Ginny.
"That's not a niffler," Harry whispered, tapping his wand between his thumb and index finger, "No niffler could make a whole stair creak."
Ginny was silent, eyes wretched onto the door.
"Ginny, I-"
"If that's a Deatheater, let him come to the room," Ginny said fiercely, subconsciously tightening her grip on Albus, "Let him flounce every curse he's got, but just don't… just don't-"
Another creak twisted the air, this time waking up James, who had, until now, been perfectly unaware of what was happening.
"Morning?" James mumbled confusedly, rubbing his eyes, and peering at his parents.
"Oh shit." Harry muttered, bending forward to receive his son, "James, I want you to stay very quiet, ok?"
"Quiet?" James wondered, tilting his head, and giving a very sleepy smile to his Dad.
"Yes, quiet." Harry nodded, "You can go back to sleep, if-"
"No," Ginny said firmly, "James, stay awake, OK?"
"Ginny, what the hell are you doing?" Harry said incredulously, "If that's a sodding Deatheater trying to kill me then James – and Albus – are to categorically not witness it."
"For one thing-" Ginny began, but Harry interrupted.
"Its not much to ask, Ginny, I just don't want my kids to be able to see Thestrals when the start Hogwarts."
"Oh Harry," Ginny sighed, pulling her husband in, "Stop acting dumb! Of course I didn't mean that."
"Just, trust me, ok?" Harry replied, lifting a hand against Ginny's cheek. She nodded, before pushing him back.
"Be ready to cast a stunner," Harry ordered, passing Ginny her wand, and for the second time, she nodded.
"Someone in our house?" James whispered, and Harry and Ginny shared a look.
"You'll be fine," Ginny assured him, tugging the blanket over them, "Just stay quiet like Daddy said."
There had been no more creaks since the second, but the distant wobble from the banister caused Harry's heart to start racing. It pounded against his chest as he made his way to the door, ready for it to be blasted open. The blood pounded through his veins, adrenaline coursing through his body, waiting, just waiting for whoever had broken into their house, to reveal themself.
"I love you, Harry." Ginny said softly from the bed.
"I love you too." Harry replied, glancing backwards, before placing his gaze directly on the door, "And you, James, I love you, so much."
"I love you, Daddy," Whispered James, "Al loves you too."
"I know." Harry murmured, hearing the soft pads of footsteps lurking outside the door. With his heart threatening to implode, he sucked in a sharp intake of breath, and reached for the door handle.
He pulled it open with a lurch, and almost gasped in relief.
Teddy Lupin, clad in his Chudley Cannon's Pyjama's, stood in the corridor, his eyes wide when he saw his Godfather standing there, wand poised.
"Teddy!" Cried Harry in abatement, before falling too his knees to embrace the 7-year-old, "You almost gave me and Ginny a heart attack!"
"Sorry," murmured Teddy, nuzzling into Harry's shoulder, "But you've always said that if something's happened, I need to call you."
Harry drew back, looking Teddy up and down. His hair was his natural sandy brown, and his eyes close to black.
"Teddy, what happened?" Harry said quietly, and Teddy looked to the floor.
"Teddy-" Harry repeated, but Teddy looked back up, tears springing to his eyes.
"It's Gran!" he cried, "I went to ask her for a glass of juice – it was really high up! – and I called her name, I shook her, and she wouldn't wake up!"
"What's going on?" Harry heard Ginny yell from the bedroom behind him, and so he directed Teddy back through the door.
"Teddy!" screeched James, clambering over to hug the boy of whom he thought of as an older brother.
"Wait a second, James." Harry said, catching James around the tummy, and lifting him up, "How long ago was this, Teddy?"
"I didn't know what to do." Whispered Teddy, making Ginny clamp a hand over her mouth, realisation pummelling down upon her, "I didn't want to leave her."
"You did the right thing," Harry said, lifting Teddy up onto the edge of the bed. James squirmed in Harry's other arm, and whimpered to be free, "But you didn't answer my question."
"About 30 minutes ago." Teddy answered, his bottom lip quivering. James stopped moving, and looked at Teddy, wary.
"Teddy, why you sad?" He asked, but Teddy ignored him.
"Can you come over and help?" He said quietly, silently begging.
"Of course," Harry nodded, "We'll go now."
A tear dropped down from Teddy's left eye, as he slid off the bed, onto the floor, looking, and obviously feeling, helpless. Harry glanced at his wife, who nodded, taking James from his father's firm grip.
"I'll be over in the morning." She told him as Harry leant in for a kiss, "I'll let you be with him for a while."
"We need to stop expecting the worst," Harry murmured against her lips, brushing Al's temple with his thumb, "It's a Potter trait."
"You reckon?" Ginny said, smiling slightly.
"Oh I know so," Harry grinned back, giving a gentle kiss to Albus' forehead, "See you in the morning, yes?"
"Yes, keep him safe."
"Always."
Harry pulled back, and ruffled James' hair in farewell.
"I'll see you in the morning, Jamie." Harry said, extending a hand for Teddy.
"And Teddy?" James asked apprehensively, peering at his godbrother.
"Yes, Teddy too." Harry nodded, wiping a tear away from Teddy's dark eyes. He stood up, and together, they walked down the stairs to the fireplace.
"Did you move that chair, Ted?" Harry asked, remembering the soft scrape of the armchair earlier that night. Teddy grinned a little.
"I crashed into it."
"You're so clumsy, you know, just like you're Mum." Harry said fondly, taking a heap of floo powder. Teddy smiled, happy to be compared next to the Mother he had never known, and gripped Harry's hand tighter.
"Right, let's go," Harry announced, before releasing the floo power, and yelling "Andromeda Tonks' house!"
The pair whirled away in a wave of green smoke, and reappeared in Andromeda's living room. The house was quiet, and the moon cast silvery light on the squashy green armchairs beside the door.
"Granma's in her room, I assume?" Harry asked Teddy, and he nodded, nervous. Harry pulled out his wand, and turned the lights on in the house. Teddy blinked twice, allowing his eyes to get used to the light. Harry glanced down at Teddy, and rubbed his thumb across the back of Teddy's palm, giving him the smallest amount of comfort he could.
They reached the stairs, and slowly went up, anticipating what they would see beyond the doorway to the left. Harry pushed it open, and saw Andromeda Tonks tucked neatly under the covers, her greying brown hair bunching up beneath her right ear. Harry let go of Teddy, and rushed to the woman's side. He pulled her hand out from under the duvet, and placed his thumb over hers. He was pleased to feel a slow steady thump, which indicted that all was not yet lost. He gently placed the back of his hand near her mouth and nose, and felt the warm steady flow of breath falling upon him.
"She's ok, Teddy," Harry breathed, "Maybe a little ill, but she's alive."
"I thought she was dead." Teddy whimpered, scampering forwards to feel his Gran's pulse for himself.
"I'll send an owl to St. Mungo's, and they'll tell us what's the matter." Harry explained, after directing Teddy's small hand to the pulse point.
"She'll be ok, though?" Teddy asked, his ingrown fear making itself known, "She's not going to die, is she?" he added with a gulp.
"Everyone dies eventually, Teddy, but I promise you this," Harry said, bending down to Teddy's level, "Whatever happens, know you are so so loved. My me, Ginny, Nanny Molly, Grandad Arthur, all your Aunties and Uncles, James-" Harry laughed a little at this, "James adores you, Teddy."
"I love him too." Teddy said quietly, "But Grandma's different. She's –"
"I know, Teddy, but she'll be ok, I promise." Harry said firmly, hugging Teddy tightly, "And you're never going to be able to see Thestrals."
"What are –" Teddy wondered, by Harry put a finger to his lips, grinning.
"That's another story. Now, let's write that letter to St. Mungo's, you can help me!" Harry suggested, straightening up, and sitting at Andromeda's desk, quill and parchment poised to write.
"You can ask them what Thestrals are." Shrugged Teddy, and Harry suppressed a laugh.
"Cheeky." He muttered, and began writing.