Chapter One

A/N: I OWN NOTHING!

Teddy sighed as he placed the letter on the bed. He was sick and tired of getting picked on at Hogwarts, no matter how many times his teachers stated that it was simply kids being kids.

"Yeah right," he scoffed as he slung the duffle bag he'd packed the night before. At school last year he'd turned seventeen which meant that the Trace was off of him. The Ministry couldn't do anything to him if he chose not to go to school anymore.

He looked in regret at the note on his bed and grabbed it. He'd included one for his grandmother and his godfather but there was one he'd forgotten.

Vic,

You're going to hate me for this but I've got to do it. I'm sick of it Victorie. Sick of the Slytherins going at me every day because my father was a werewolf. Sick of the Ravenclaws asking me questions I couldn't possibly know because my father was the best DADA professor Hogwarts has ever known, sick of the Gryffindors asking me to make faces for them just because I can, and sick of the professors for doing nothing. I've had it, and I'm sick of being bullied while no one does anything.

Don't bother looking for me, you know I can change my description in an instant. Don't send me a Howler either. I'm 17, I know what I'm doing.

Love from

Teddy

He enclosed that into the envelope holding the other two notes and then turned to his cat. Moony had been with him since he could remember, in fact Teddy was half convinced Moony was immortal.

"Come on boy," he whispered, holding out his bag. Moony jumped into it and Teddy grabbed his bowls, a bag of food and some toys.

"Bye Harry," he whispered. "Bye Ginny. Sorry bout this but I don't want you possibly changing my mind."

He left via the window and walked a few miles before knowing no one would hear him leave. Focusing on Diagon Ally, he reopened his eyes to see the familiar ally. Only no one was around. He hoped Gringotts was still open.

"Yes?" the goblin at the door sneered.

"Are you open?" Teddy asked. The goblin's sneer turned into a smile.

"Why yes young wizard," he nodded. "We are."

He opened up the door but frowned when Teddy went to the transfer desk.

"Yes?" the goblin there asked.

"I'd like to transfer one half of all the gold in Vault 901 to American dollars," Teddy said. "I'd also like a way so that I may access the remainder of said gold at some point in the near future."

The goblin sighed and looked at the total.

"There are seven hundred thousand galleons in Vault 901," he said. "The most recent deposit was made by Mr. Harry Potter on April 31st. For each dollar that is requested, you will be charged five galleons. You will be given a total of 350,000 dollars. For twenty galleons more, you can receive a bag in which you will have ready access to the rest of your money."

Teddy was gob smacked. His godfather had really done all that for him? Here he was, running away and his godfather just made sure his plan could work.

"Thanks!" he said as he paid. He placed the muggle money into his actual wallet while placing the galleon bag into his moneybag. Now all he needed was to find that international apperation point…..ah! There it is.

He focused on the smallest town he'd read about in the library at Hogwarts. It was in a rare book that no one had read before, not even his father. When he opened his eyes one last time, he found himself in Lima Ohio.

"Time to find a place to live," he muttered to himself. To his shock, 350,000 dollars did not get him a lot in terms of a good place to live while on a budget. In the end, he ended up getting an apartment in a rundown area called Lima Heights Adjacent. Tomorrow he'd get himself registered for classes.

"Moony, this was a good idea right?" he asked his kitten. "I'm not being an idiot am I?"

Moony looked at him and meowed. Teddy shook his head at the brown tabby. Of course he wasn't being stupid. No way was he going through his last year of Hogwarts dealing with the idiots who whispered behind his back every full moon. Who constantly taunted him because it still took effort in controlling his hair when he got upset at someone.

"I think it's time for bed Moony," he said and yawned. Wow, he must have been really tired. Getting into a bed, his last thought was whether Victorie would be mad at him or not.

That answer came with the morning sunrise. Victorie, it seemed, decided to disregard his request for her not to send a Howler.

THEODORE REMUS LUPIN! it hollered in the early morning hour of four o'clock and promptly startling Teddy out of bed. How'd she get one here so fast? Then he noticed the snowy owl sitting on the windowsill. Hedwig II always seemed to get to where she needed to be quickly.

HOW COULD YOU BE SO IDIOTIC! WE'RE ALL WORRIED THAT YOU'VE BEEN KIDNAPPED! YOU KNOW UNCLE HARRY WAS ABOUT TO SEND OUT THE ENTIRE AUROR PATROL FOR YOU WHEN HE WENT INTO YOUR ROOM AND SAW THAT YOU WEREN'T THERE? THE ONLY REASON MCGONAGALL ALLOWED FOR YOU TO STAY AT UNCLE HARRY'S WAS SO YOU COULD GAIN YOUR INTERSHIP WITH THE AURORS EASIER! GRANDMUM'S PACING THE BURROW IN FEAR, STATING THAT IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF TIME BEFORE WE GOT HURT IN ONE OF OUR HARE-BRAINED SKEMES. YOU HAD ONE MORE YEAR TED! ONE!

AT LEAST SEND HEDWIG BACK SO I KNOW YOU GOT THIS! OH, AND DON'T TRY TO SEND A ONE LINER. A NICE LONG NOTE, BUCKO! YOUR BEST FRIEND DESRVES THAT AT LEAST!

In a quieter voice, the howler continued. It was as if Fleur and Bill had been watching as Vic had made the first part and walked away when they thought she'd finished.

Sorry Ted. I wanted to respect your wishes but Mum stated that no boy would ever take a woman seriously if they catered to his every whim. Of course, she thinks we're just friends. She has no idea we're dating, neither does Dad. Personally, I think what you're doing is very brave. Please write though. I've sent you our parchment, you know the planning one. Granddad's excited that you're going to live possibly with muggles though they've all thrown that idea out of the possible search options.

Love,

Victorie.

Teddy rubbed a hand over his tired face and scrambled for a pen and parchment.

Sorry for this Victorie, and it couldn't have killed you to send your bloody alarm clock of a Howler at a decent hour? Some of us have school to go to later.

Tell Arthur he's right about the muggles. I can trust you two to keep this a secret, right? I'd rather the others not know about this just yet. Knowing Harry, he'd fly in on his Firebolt wielding Gryffindor's sword to get me out of whatever trouble he believed me to be in.

I've enclosed a note of apology for McGonagall, figured it was the least she deserved after allowing that special privilege for me. I'm fine though. I've got Moony and enough money to last me through Christmas.

Seriously though, try to convince Molly that I'm fine. How's James holding up? Merlin, only his first year and he has to deal with all this drama.

Try to limit conversations to the parchment okay? The odds I'll actually have muggles over are high and I don't want them thinking I'm odder than I actually am.

Love from

Teddy

He gave both pieces of parchment to the snowy owl, which flew off. It was then that there was a pounding on the door.

"What now?" Teddy groaned as he got up. He first made sure that his hair was a normal color—not pink like the last time he'd opened a door. He still never heard the end of it from the boys in his dorm. Thankfully, it was a light blonde, almost the color of Victorie's hair. His eyes were also a normal color, light green; in honor of his godfather.

"Coming!" he shouted as the pounding on the door continued. He looked down and groaned when he realized that he was only wearing a pair of boxers. Oh well. It was four in the bloody morning! What did the person behind the door expect? For him to be fully dressed and ready to great the day?

"Yes?" he asked and had to physically stop his jaw from hitting the floor as he saw the attractive, tanned brunette girl standing right in front of him.

"What in the world gives you the right to make all that noise at four in the morning, Goldie?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.